A federal judge in Manhattan on Tuesday scolded government attorneys for persistent delays in handing over documents related to the December killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

District Judge Paul Engelmayer, who presides over a lawsuit filed by the Open Society Justice Initiative, part of liberal philanthropist George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, against multiple federal agencies, said the feds are treating a request for the records like “a tree falling in the woods that no one can hear.”

“We need to find a way to light a fire under these agencies,” the judge said to the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office lawyers.

Engelmayer said Khashoggi’s murder, which the CIA has said was likely ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, has been “front page news” for several months.

Assistant US Attorney Natasha Teleanu explained to the judge that agencies have been held up by the fact that they are combing through documents to eliminate duplicates and that they are juggling other records requests filed under the Freedom of Information Act.

The State Department, one of the agencies that received requests for Khashoggi-related documents, identified more than 23,000 pages of relevant records and proposed handing over 300 pages each month.

But Engelmayer said that wasn’t good enough and ordered the government to provide 5,000 pages per month, starting with this month. The judge said he may consider an order of contempt against the government if it doesn’t comply with his scheduling order.

“I don’t want to sit here and bark at you each month,” the judge said.

There are 10 pending bills in Congress related to Khashoggi’s death, and last month the late columnist’s fiancee testified before lawmakers that they should hold Saudi Arabia accountable but that “nothing has been done,” court papers state.

In April, the State Department barred 16 Saudis from the US for their role in Khashoggi’s death.