Bush (41) Spiritual Counsel
| Tracking # |
2011-0256-F |
| Submitted | Oct. 30, 2010 |
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Communications
From: Jason Smathers
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:
All records of communication between President Bush (41) and his spiritual advisors, including, but not limited to Billy Graham.
I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as I believe this request is in the public interest. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.
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-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 10 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Jason Smathers
Filed via MuckRock.com
185 Beacon St. #3
Somerville, MA 02143
Daytime: (857) 488- 3081
E-mail: requests@muckrock.com
From: George Bush Presidential Library
From: George Bush Presidential Library
From: Jason Smathers
You letter has left me uncertain as to how many pages are available.
Please let me know how many pages were responsive, how many pages were exempted and how many pages are available for review.
Thank you.
Regards,
Jason Smathers
From: Jason Smathers
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Oct. 30, 2010. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #2011-0256-F.
Thank you for your help.
From: Jason Smathers
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Oct. 30, 2010. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #2011-0256-F.
Thank you for your help.
From: Jason Smathers
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Oct. 30, 2010. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #2011-0256-F.
Thank you for your help.
From: "John Laster" <John.Laster@nara.gov>
Dear Mr. Smathers:
Let me apologize for the delay in responding to your request. Unfortunately, your email was quarantined as potential spam by our system. Only upon doing a manual review did Nancy Smith discover your correspondence.
My name is John Laster. Nancy and I serve as the FOIA liaisons for the Presidential Libraries system. She forwarded your email to me for response. As you may know, the Presidential Records Act (PRA) and E.O. 13489 require that we notify the representatives of the former and incumbent Presidents prior to the release of any PRA records. The records that you requested from the Bush Library are governed by the PRA. As such, we have notified both the former and incumbent Presidents' representatives of our intent to make these records available. The Bush Presidential records responsive to your FOIA request are still in that formal notification process. As soon as that process is complete, the Bush Library will inform you that these records are available.
Finally, I see from your email that you sent a similar inquiry in July of this year. If we did not respond to that email, please know it was because it would have also been captured in our spam filter.
If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to let me know.
Thank you,
John
John Laster
Archivist
Presidential Materials Staff
National Archives and Records Administration
700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20408-0001
(202) 357-5144 (p)
(202) 357-5939 (f)
john.laster@nara.gov
From: George Bush Presidential Library
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Oct. 30, 2010. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #2011-0256-F.
Thank you for your help.
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Oct. 30, 2010. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #2011-0256-F.
Thank you for your help.
From: John Laster
Mr. Smathers:
The FOIA in question, 2011-0256-F, that you filed with the Bush Library is
complete. On December 27, 2011, the Bush Library sent a letter to you at
the 185 Beacon Street address informing you that this material was
available. I have copied Debbie Wheeler, an archivist at the George Bush
Library, on this email. Please feel free to contact her directly if you
would like to see a copy of that letter or if you would like to purchase
copies of the records responsive to your request.
Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns.
From: MuckRock
Ms. Wheeler,
We did not receive this letter. Could you please send a copy by email or to the following new address for MuckRock:
MuckRock News
Dept MR164
PO Box 55819
Boston, MA 02205-5819
Thank you.
From: Debbie Wheeler
Dear Mr. Smathers,
I am sorry that you did not receive the letters we sent upon the official
release of 2011-0256-F. Please find attached the two letters acknowledging
the release of both the presidential and vice presidential records related
to your request. If you would like to order copies, please let us know.
I will update your physical address in our system to reflect the
information you sent in the latest email correspondence.
Sincerely,
Deborah
Deborah Wheeler
Archivist
George Bush Presidential Library
1000 George Bush Drive West
College Station, TX 77845
From: Jason Smathers
Sorry for the confusion. I was aware of the fee requirement and paid that last week over the telephone via credit card and am now awaiting the records.
From: Debbie Wheeler
Dear Mr. Smathers,
To be sure that your request is taken care of in a timely manner, can you
tell me which staff member took your information? I cannot immediately find
a record of your order.
Sincerely,
Deborah
--
Deborah Wheeler
Archivist
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
1000 George Bush Drive West
College Station, TX 77845
(979)691-4039
From: Jason Smathers
I cannot recall the name of the person on the phone. Are you able to find my order for these records without that?
From: Debbie Wheeler
Dear Mr. Smathers,
I found that our archives technician, Rachael Altman, is taking care of
your order. If you wish to contact her directly regarding the disposition
of these materials, please email her at Library.Bush@nara.gov
Thank you,
Deborah
--
Deborah Wheeler
Archivist
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
1000 George Bush Drive West
College Station, TX 77845
(979)691-4039
From: Jason Smathers
Thank you. I have received these records.
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