"ACAB" License Plate
| Submitted | Aug. 7, 2022 |
MuckRock users can file, duplicate, track, and share public records requests like this one. Learn more.
Communications
From: Adam Steinbaugh
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:
1. A copy of the "complaint" as referenced by Mike Brady in a June 22, 2021 email to James Fackler, Doug Novak, and Darryl Hill.
2. Any records pertaining to the Department of State's receipt of or response to the "complaint."
3. Any communications, correspondence, or other records sent, received, or generated by the Department staff responsible for social media which relate to a license plate or contain any of the following terms:
a. "ACAB"
b. "A C A B"
c. "plate"
d. "plates"
d. https://twitter.com/violetikon/status/1406257869687865349
4. Any communications, correspondence, or other records sent, received, or generated by Melissa Smiley, Brennan Smith, Mike Brady, Jake Rollow, Doug Novak, James Fackler, Darryl Hill, or any person who reports directly to them, which relate to a license plate or contain any of the following terms:
a. "ACAB"
b. "A C A B"
c. "plate"
d. "plates"
d. https://twitter.com/violetikon/status/1406257869687865349
Request Nos. 3 and 4 are limited to records sent, received, or generated between June 19, 2021 and June 25, 2021.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Adam Steinbaugh
From: Michigan Secretary of State
The Department of State (Department) acknowledges receipt of your request for records under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 et seq. Pursuant to section 15.235(1) of the FOIA, your request was considered received by the Department on August 8, 2022, the business day following the transmission of your email message.
In order to determine whether the Department possesses existing, nonexempt public records responsive to your request, we are extending the time for responding to your request by 10 business days (in addition to the standard 5 business days allowed for a response), as permitted by FOIA, MCL 15.235. A notice will be issued to you on or before August 29, 2022.
Douglas A. Novak
FOIA Coordinator
Michigan Department of State
-
~WRD0000
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Michigan Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Aug. 7, 2022. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Michigan Secretary of State
The Department of State (Department) has received search results for your request for records under the provisions of the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 et seq.
Your request is granted as to existing, nonexempt public records that are determined to be responsive to your request. In order to process your request, please pay the amount of $1,161.07. This amount is one half the Department estimates the cost will be to fulfill your request. The FOIA authorizes the Department to charge for mailing costs, copying, searching, reviewing, deleting and separating exempt from nonexempt information (MCL 15.234). The failure to charge a fee for the search, examination, review, and the deletion and separation of exempt from nonexempt information would result in unreasonably high costs to the Department in this particular instance because, unlike a simple report or a small amount of documents with nonexempt information, your request involves a number of documents and would require employee(s) to be diverted from their original duties to process this request and will be required to expend additional time to complete their regularly assigned duties.
The estimated breakdown of the Department's estimated costs to process your FOIA request is attached. The charge for the Department's labor is the burdened (salary + 50% of benefits) hourly rate of lowest paid employee(s) capable of completing the necessary tasks. Please note that the stated amounts are estimates only and may increase or decrease depending on the final costs incurred.
Upon the receipt of your non-refundable deposit, the Department will continue processing your request. It is anticipated that the Department can process your request in approximately under 4 weeks. Again, this is an estimate only issued today, and may vary depending on staffing (vacations, illnesses, etc.) and workload. The Department will notify you in writing when completed and send the records upon receipt of your final payment of the actual balance due. As set forth under section 4(14) of the FOIA, MCL 15.234(14), if a fee appeal has not been filed under section 10a of the FOIA, MCL 15.240a, the Department must receive the required deposit within 45 days after your statutorily-determined receipt of this notice, otherwise the FOIA request will be considered abandoned and the Department will not be required to fulfill the request.
Checks or money orders should be made payable to the STATE OF MICHIGAN and mailed to:
Michigan Department of State
Cashier Unit
7064 Crowner Drive
Lansing, MI 48918
To ensure proper credit, please enclose a copy of this letter for the Cashier Unit to forward upon receipt of your check.
The Department's FOIA Procedures and Guidelines can be accessed at www.michigan.gov/sos<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.michigan.gov%2Fsos&data=04%7C01%7CNovakD%40michigan.gov%7C62c5ea773e2e4f6cbfe908d9f707be15%7Cd5fb7087377742ad966a892ef47225d1%7C0%7C0%7C637812435022268408%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=z4A%2F2kHpHKKkCJr%2FtB90xScapiQuJb9JuTtjNoSxmXA%3D&reserved=0>, under the "FOIA" tab at the bottom of the page.
Douglas A. Novak
FOIA Coordinator
Michigan Department of State
From: Adam Steinbaugh
Hello --
Can you provide me an estimate for each of the following categories of records if the request were amended to seek only the following?:
1. A copy of the "complaint" as referenced by Mike Brady in a June 22, 2021 email to James Fackler, Doug Novak, and Darryl Hill.
2. Any records pertaining to the Department of State's receipt of or response to the "complaint."
3. Any communications, correspondence, or other records sent, received, or generated by the Department staff responsible for social media which contain any of the following terms:
a. "ACAB"
b. "A C A B"
c. https://twitter.com/violetikon/status/1406257869687865349
4. Any communications, correspondence, or other records sent, received, or generated by Melissa Smiley, Brennan Smith, Mike Brady, Jake Rollow, Doug Novak, James Fackler, Darryl Hill, or any person who reports directly to them, which contain any of the following terms:
a. "ACAB"
b. "A C A B"
c. https://twitter.com/violetikon/status/1406257869687865349
Request Nos. 3 and 4 are limited to records sent, received, or generated between June 19, 2021 and June 25, 2021.
Thank you!
From: Michigan Secretary of State
Based on your request we will have to run a new search. In order to determine whether the Department possesses existing, nonexempt public records responsive to your request, we are extending the time for responding to your request by 10 business days (in addition to the standard 5 business days allowed for a response), as permitted by FOIA, MCL 15.235. A notice will be issued to you on or before September 21, 2022.
Douglas A. Novak
FOIA Coordinator
Michigan Department of State
From: Michigan Secretary of State
Your request is granted as to existing, nonexempt public records that are determined to be responsive to your request. In order to process your request, please pay the amount of $55.04. This amount is one half the Department estimates the cost will be to fulfill your request. The FOIA authorizes the Department to charge for mailing costs, copying, searching, reviewing, deleting and separating exempt from nonexempt information (MCL 15.234). The failure to charge a fee for the search, examination, review, and the deletion and separation of exempt from nonexempt information would result in unreasonably high costs to the Department in this particular instance because, unlike a simple report or a small amount of documents with nonexempt information, your request involves a number of documents and would require employee(s) to be diverted from their original duties to process this request and will be required to expend additional time to complete their regularly assigned duties.
The estimated breakdown of the Department's estimated costs to process your FOIA request is attached. The charge for the Department's labor is the burdened (salary + 50% of benefits) hourly rate of lowest paid employee(s) capable of completing the necessary tasks. Please note that the stated amounts are estimates only and may increase or decrease depending on the final costs incurred.
Upon the receipt of your non-refundable deposit, the Department will continue processing your request. It is anticipated that the Department can process your request in approximately under 1 week. Again, this is an estimate only issued today, and may vary depending on staffing (vacations, illnesses, etc.) and workload. The Department will notify you in writing when completed and send the records upon receipt of your final payment of the actual balance due. As set forth under section 4(14) of the FOIA, MCL 15.234(14), if a fee appeal has not been filed under section 10a of the FOIA, MCL 15.240a, the Department must receive the required deposit within 45 days after your statutorily-determined receipt of this notice, otherwise the FOIA request will be considered abandoned and the Department will not be required to fulfill the request.
Checks or money orders should be made payable to the STATE OF MICHIGAN and mailed to:
Michigan Department of State
Cashier Unit
7064 Crowner Drive
Lansing, MI 48918
To ensure proper credit, please enclose a copy of this letter for the Cashier Unit to forward upon receipt of your check.
The Department's FOIA Procedures and Guidelines can be accessed at www.michigan.gov/sos<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.michigan.gov%2Fsos&data=04%7C01%7CNovakD%40michigan.gov%7C62c5ea773e2e4f6cbfe908d9f707be15%7Cd5fb7087377742ad966a892ef47225d1%7C0%7C0%7C637812435022268408%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=z4A%2F2kHpHKKkCJr%2FtB90xScapiQuJb9JuTtjNoSxmXA%3D&reserved=0<http://www.michigan.gov/sos%3chttps:/gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.michigan.gov%2Fsos&data=04%7C01%7CNovakD%40michigan.gov%7C62c5ea773e2e4f6cbfe908d9f707be15%7Cd5fb7087377742ad966a892ef47225d1%7C0%7C0%7C637812435022268408%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=z4A%2F2kHpHKKkCJr%2FtB90xScapiQuJb9JuTtjNoSxmXA%3D&reserved=0>>, under the "FOIA" tab at the bottom of the page.
Douglas A. Novak
FOIA Coordinator
Michigan Department of State
From: Adam Steinbaugh
To Whom It May Concern:
Please find enclosed a check for $110.07 to satisfy the fee associated with the attached public records request.
Thank you.
Michigan Department of State
Cashier Unit
7064 Crowner Drive
Lansing, MI 48918
From: Michigan Secretary of State
The Department of State (Department) has completed processing your request for records under the provisions of the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 et seq. Responsive records pertaining to your request are attached.
The Department's FOIA Procedures and Guidelines can be accessed at www.michigan.gov/sos<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.michigan.gov%2Fsos&data=05%7C01%7CNovakD%40michigan.gov%7C3a629ff8c7c4455050ee08da24769018%7Cd5fb7087377742ad966a892ef47225d1%7C0%7C0%7C637862388889427349%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=fRyh4e1ZGKFA6sE2C61YArAHigCyR4nA5FIZi3YkOOw%3D&reserved=0>, under the "FOIA" tab at the bottom of the page.
Sincerely,
Douglas A. Novak
FOIA Coordinator
Michigan Department of State
Files
pages