FBI Records About Dave Foreman

Dear FOIA Officer,

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552 et seq., I hereby request the following records:

Any and all records mentioning, relating to, or generated as a result of investigation or inquiry into William David Foreman, also known as David Foreman or Dave Foreman. Mr. Foreman was a prominent environmental activist for over four decades and was co-founder of the organizations Earth First! and the Rewilding Institute as well as the founding publisher of the Earth First Journal.

Mr. Foreman was born on Oct. 18, 1946, in Albuquerque and died on Sept. 19, 2022, in Albuquerque. Specific proof of death is not required as Mr. Foreman’s death has been widely publicized. This is a link to his obituary published in The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/28/us/david-foreman-dead.html

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 for all relevant names, individuals, agencies and companies. This is also to include any responsive records held in offsite locations, such as the Alexandria Records Center. Please include both investigatory and non-investigatory records in your search. If any potentially responsive records have been destroyed and/or transferred to NARA, then I request copies of the destruction or transfer slips as well as any other documentation relating to, mentioning or describing said transfer or destruction, to include but not be limited to confirmation that the Bureau has no other copies of said records. If previously released records are available, then I request a rolling release consisting of those records while additional records are located and processed for release. For this request, the term “all records” refers to, but is not limited to, any and all documents, correspondence (including, but not limited to, inter and/or intra-agency correspondence as well as correspondence with entities or individuals outside the federal government such as the subject and/or his affiliates, agents, contractors, representatives or lawyers), emails, letters, notes, audio or video recordings, telephone records, voicemails, telephone notes, telephone logs, text messages, chat messages, minutes, memoranda, comments, files, presentations, consultations, assessments, evaluations, schedules, papers published and/or unpublished, reports, studies, photographs and other images, and/or all other responsive records, in draft or final form. This includes all attachments and/or linked documents noted in the responsive records.

I also request that fees be waived as I believe this request is in the public interest, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. §552(a)(4)(A)(iii). 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. The responsive records will also be provided to nonprofit public interest environmental organizations. As the requester, I am a qualified researcher with a nonprofit environmental organization, and will release and share the records in order to inform the public about Mr. Foreman’s work and activities and to contribute to the public’s understanding of the operations and actions of a government agency. This request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that a fee waiver is not granted and there are fees as a result, I would appreciate if you would inform me of the estimated charges to receive the records in advance, if the estimated cost is expected to be more than $25.00.

It is unlikely that any of the responsive records will be exempt from disclosure, as FOIA exemptions must be identified, applied narrowly, and justified by the agency in light of the particular exemption as applied. However, if you determine that responsive records are exempt from disclosure, please separate the exempt portions from the nonexempt portions and release the nonexempt portions. For any records that you determine to be exempt from release, please provide a specific description of the agency record or portion of the record along with a particularized description of the legal basis for withholding it and the FOIA-recognized harm that the agency believes would warrant the withholding.

I prefer to receive the responsive records electronically, if possible, by electronic download from a website, by attachment to email, or by CD or thumbnail digital storage. If the responsive records are not available electronically, then I request that you mail copies to me using the contact information below.

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.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Thurston