; (4) rigorous protections for due process, privacy, free speech and association, and racial, gender, and religious equity; and (5) mechanisms to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Act. (c) Judicial investigations and proceedings (1) Admissibility Except in a judicial investigation or proceeding alleging a violation of this section, information obtained in violation of this section is not admissible by the Federal Government in any criminal, civil, administrative, or other investigation or proceeding. (2) Cause of action (A) In general A violation of this section constitutes an injury to any individual aggrieved by a violation of this Act. (B) Right to sue An individual described in subparagraph (A) may institute proceedings against the Federal Government whose official is alleged to have violated this section for the relief described in subparagraph (D) in any court of competent jurisdiction. (C) Enforcement by state attorneys general The chief law enforcement officer of a State, or any other State officer authorized by law to bring actions on behalf of the residents of a State, may bring a civil action, as parens patriae, on behalf of the residents of that State in an appropriate district court of the United States to enforce this Act, whenever the chief law enforcement officer or other State officer has reason to believe that the interests of the residents of the State have been or are being threatened or adversely affected by a violation of this Act. (D) Relief In a civil action brought under subparagraph (B) in which the plaintiff prevails, the court may award— (i) actual damages; (ii) punitive damages; (iii) reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs