FBI Inlet 11.23.21

To Whom It May Concern:

You are receiving this correspondence as a request under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. subsection 552. I am requesting the following:

All bureau files, field office memoranda, and other associated documents for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) operation Intelligence Letter (INLET). Operation INLET was authorized on or around November 20, 1969 and ran until December 26, 1972. On November 26, 1969, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover sent a memorandum to all field offices requesting intelligence letters containing "[i]nside information concerning demonstrations, disorders and other civil disruptions which is of more than local significance" and "[i]tems with an unusual twist or concerning prominent personalities which may be of special interest to the President or the Attorney General." Between 1969 and 1972, the FBI sent at least "120 individual items of significance" on "36 issues" to the President of the United States and the United States Attorney General (adding the Vice President as a recipient beginning April 1970). I am requesting copies of memoranda containing these individual items and sent to the aforementioned parties, in addition to any memoranda sent by field offices suggesting items of significance to the President or other related parties. This includes any INLET documents that may predate the authorization of the operation, such as a November 7, 1969 memo from W. C. Sullivan to C. D. DeLoach captioned "FBI Intelligence Letter for the President" and any corresponding documents forwarded to the President and Attorney General at that time. Next year represents the 50th anniversary of the discontinuance of Operation INLET, and as half a century has passed, there should be no expectation of any embarrassment or security risk to the FBI or the Executive Office of the President in releasing these documents.

To assist in your search, I have attached examples of documents previously released by the FBI (and currently available to the public in the National Archives) addressing Operation INLET. Please conduct a search of the Central Records System, including but not limited to the Electronic Surveillance (ELSUR) Indices, the Microphone Surveillance (MISUR) Indices, the Physical Surveillance (FISUR) Indices, and the Technical Surveillance (TESUR) Indices, for both main-file records and cross-reference records.

I am a member of the news media, and I am asking you waive any fees associated with this request. I have written for Philly Voice and Atlas Obscura. Please take note of the Office of Management and Budget guidelines published March 27, 1987 (52 FR 10012) that include electronic publications and other nontraditional publishers as representatives of the news media.

This request is not being made for commercial purposes. All documents will be provided to the general public without charge.

In the event that there are fees, I am willing to pay up to $250. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as the statute requires. If access to the records I am requesting will take longer, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records.

If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of the appeal procedures available to me under the law.

Sincerely,

Robert Skvarla, Jr.

To Whom It May Concern:

In response to FOIA Request Number 1510612-000, I am requesting all records responsive to my initial request for information on "Operation Inlet (November 20, 1969 — December 26, 1972)". The records sent in response to my request fulfill only part of this request, as they cover a period of November 6, 1969, to June 26, 1970, whereas the request specified a period of November 20, 1969, through December 26, 1972. Memoranda found in the National Archives confirm that additional records exist through at least February 2, 1973. I have attached two such examples for clarification. These attachments contain the following information:

1) A memorandum issued by the Special Agent in Charge, Albany, and captioned "FBI Intelligence for the President Code Named 'Inlet' Research Matter". The memorandum is dated December 26, 1972.

2) A memorandum issued by the United States Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities, dated June 20, 1975. It confirms the existence of a memorandum captioned "FBI Intelligence Letter for the President Code Named 'Inlet' Research Matter" and dated February 2, 1973.

The referenced memoranda were not among the records sent in response to my initial request and thus confirm further records exist. I am asking for all records responsive to my request, including those for the period running from June 27, 1970 to December 26, 1972.

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.

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to follow up on Freedom of Information Act Request Number 1510612-000, attached, and originally submitted on November 23, 2021. I sent a follow-up request via mail to the Initial Processing Operations Unit on January 13, 2022, as directed in a Bureau communication, and have not yet received acknowledgment of receipt or a timeframe for processing. 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.

To Whom It May Concern:

On November 23, 2021, I submitted FOIA request 1510612-000, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) responded on December 17, 2021 by providing a partial set of documents responsive to my request. In a letter attached to those documents, dated December 1, 2021, Record/Information Dissemination Section Chief Michael G. Seidel stated that if I required additional documents I should respond by mail to the Initial Processing Operations Unit, which I did on January 13, 2022. I had not received a confirmation of receipt from the FBI as of February 23, 2022, so I sent a follow-up communication, for clarification, to the FBI FOIA portal that same day. I received a communication the following day, on February 24, 2022, directing me to review the status of my FOIA request on the FBI's FOIA portal, but upon doing so I discovered that the request was still marked as "Closed".

I am contacting you now, via email, to follow-up on this request as this is the second time in a week I have had to reach out regarding FOIA Request 1510612-000. I appreciate the work that the FBI's Information Management Division does in processing FOIA requests, and I understand the volume of requests at any given time may be great, but I am frustrated in this moment because it is unclear if the FBI is honoring the standards for requests as outlined in the Freedom of Information Act. Any help you may be able to offer regarding the status of FOIA Request 1510612-000 would be greatly appreciated.

I have attached the prior two requests for expediency's sake.

To Whom It May Concern:

I am sending this correspondence in response to a Freedom of Information Act request initially sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on November 23, 2021. The FBI responded shortly after, assigning it Freedom of Information/Privacy Acts (FOIPA) request number 1510612-000.

In my original request I asked for all documents responsive to FBI operation Intelligence Letter (INLET). This program ran from November 20, 1969, to December 26, 1972. On December 7, 2021, the FBI responded by providing a partial set of documents, covering only up through June 26, 1970, and stating I could request additional documents if I so desired. I responded by mailing a request through a third-party service, Muckrock, on January 13, 2022 that stated I would like additional documents on INLET for the entire period mentioned in the original request (November 20, 1969 to December 26, 1972). I did not receive confirmation of receipt of this request from the FBI, so, on February 25, 2022, I sent another request through Muckrock, this time by email.

I have also attempted to contact the FBI’s publication information officer on two occasions, using a contact number provided by the FBI (540-868-4593). These calls occurred on April 8, 2022, at 11:27 a.m., and April 13, 2022, at 1:21 p.m. There was no answer at the number provided on either occasion, but I left a detailed message that included my name, the FOIPA request number, and contact information both times. As of April 20, 2022, the FBI has not responded to any of my requests for additional INLET documents. The FBI’s online FOIPA portal still lists the case as “Closed”.

I am reaching out for assistance in moving along my request for additional documents on FOIPA request number 1510612-000. This request should cover the period of November 20, 1969, through December 26, 1972. I have attached the original request and a subsequent follow-up request for clarification’s sake.

As in prior correspondence, I am renewing my request for a fee waiver. I am a member of the news media, with bylines including CovertAction Magazine, Philly Voice, and Atlas Obscura. Please take note of the Office of Management and Budget guidelines published March 27, 1987 (52 FR 10012) that include electronic publications and other nontraditional publishers as representatives of the news media.

Sincerely,

Robert Skvarla, Jr.

Good afternoon,

I submitted the original request for request number 1510612-000 on November 23, 2021 via Muckrock. The FBI responded with a partial set of documents on December 7, 2021, so, on January 13, 2022, I sent a follow-up request for additional documents, at the direction of the FBI's response letter, via mail. When I did not receive a response to the mailed request, I submitted a second request for additional documents using Muckrock's email service on February 25, 2022.

I have attached a copy of the follow-up request to assist you in your search.

Thank you for the prompt response. I appreciate the work that the FBI's Information Management Division does in processing FOIA requests.

Sincerely,

Robert Skvarla, Jr.

To Whom It May Concern:

I am inquiring about the status of Freedom of Information/Privacy Acts (FOIPA) request 1510612-001. On May 2, 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sent a response letter, attached, acknowledging receipt of a request for additional information connected to a prior FOIPA request (1510612-000), and stating it would be reviewed and processed in a timely fashion. Yet as of October 12, 2022, the FBI's FOIPA website reports request 1510612-001 cannot be found in its database. Please let me know if the FBI is in possession of this request and the expected time frame for processing, or if there is more you require from me to complete this request.

Thank you in advance for any guidance you may be able to offer.

Sincerely,
Robert Skvarla, Jr.