4chan /k/ and /pol/ boards

To Whom It May Concern:

This is a request pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request records pertaining to:

The 4chan /k/ and /pol/ boards, and their members, since January 1, 2013.

BACKGROUND: 4chan is an online forum, located at 4chan.org. "/k/" is a 4chan board for weapons and firearms, located at https://boards.4chan.org/k/. Members of /k/ are often referred to as "/k/ommandos" or "/k/omrades". "/pol/" is a 4chan board meaning "politically incorrect" and includes discussion of news and world events, located at https://boards.4chan.org/pol/. The November 23-24, 2015, shooting of five Black Lives Matter demonstrators near the Minneapolis Police Department's 4th Precinct was organized on 4chan, comprised of members of /k/, and was broadcast to members of /k/ and /pol/. Arrested and charged in their alleged connection with the shooting were Allen Lawrence "Lance" Scarsella, Joseph Martin Backman, Nathan Wayne Gustavsson, and Daniel Thomas Macey. At least three of these individuals allegedly joined in-person "Minnesota /k/" or "MN /k/ommandos" meetups in Minnesota. The Hennepin County Attorney stated that the FBI was assisting the Minneapolis Police Department with the incident, although this request is not limited to this incident, nor limited in geography to Minnesota.

The requested documents will be published and made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes. The requested records will be used for non-commercial research and journalism purposes, and will significantly contribute to an understanding of government activities by the general public.

In the event that fees cannot be waived, 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/DVD if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Tony Webster

Mr. Hardy,

I am in receipt of your January 11, 2016, correspondence regarding FOIPA Request 1341201-000, generally pertaining to the 4chan /k/ and /pol/ boards.

You state that the FBI did not find responsive records in a search of the Central Records System (CRS). However, you don't state that the FBI searched Electronic Surveillance (ELSUR) indices, time utilization record-keeping systems (TURK), or any hard drives, emails, or paper documents. The request did not express a limitation for the search to just CRS, so please ensure the search is conducted for all FBI records, including the ELSUR, TURK, hard drives, emails, and paper documents.

Thank you,
Tony Webster