The federal judge presiding over Louis J. Freeh’s attempts to remove a possible defamation case against him from state to federal court has ordered Freeh to show why the federal court has jurisdiction to take the case.

Freeh will have until Aug. 25 to show that the case should not be dismissed for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction, according to the order issued by U.S. District Judge Malachy E. Mannion of the Middle District of Pennsylvania in Spanier v. Freeh on Aug. 15.