FOIA concerns
| Tracking # |
16-00509-F |
| Submitted | April 10, 2016 |
| Due | Dec. 12, 2019 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Michael Best
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:
Records, documents, memos, reports, monographs, surveys, impact assessments, threat assessments and other records discussing concerns regarding the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act from 1980 to present, including correspondence with Congress members and staffers regarding FOIA reform and relevant recommendations.
Please search all of the following DOJ components:
- Antitrust Division records
- Associate Attorney General records
- Attorney General records
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives records
- Civil Division records
- Civil Rights Division records
- Community Relations Service records
- Criminal Division records
- Deputy Attorney General records
- Drug Enforcement Administration records
- Environment and Natural Resources Division records
- Executive Office for Immigration Review records
- United States Attorney records
- United States Trustees records
- Federal Bureau of Investigation records
- Federal Bureau of Prisons records
- Foreign Claims Settlement Commission records
- INTERPOL-United States National Central Bureau records
- Justice Management Division records
- National Security Division records
- Office of Community Oriented Policing Services records
- Office of Information Policy records
- Office of the Inspector General records
- Office of Justice Programs records
- Office of Legal Counsel records
- Office of Legal Policy records
- Office of Legislative Affairs records
- Office of the Pardon Attorney records
- Office of Professional Responsibility records
- Office of Public Affairs records
- Office of the Solicitor General records
- Office on Violence Against Women records
- Professional Responsibility Advisory Office records
- Tax Division records
- United States Marshals Service records
- United States Parole Commission records
Recognize that FOIA case law establishes the extent to which agencies MUST search all records system reasonably believed to contain responsive documents, even if it means contacting former employees. Truitt v. Department of State, 897 F.2d 540, 542 (D.C. Cir. 1990) makes it explicitly clear that it is the obligation of the Department to “conduct a search reasonably calculated to uncover all relevant documents.” In addition, the Justice Department’s May 2004 FOIA Guide states that an agency “cannot limit its search to only one record system if there are others that are likely to turn up the information requested.”
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 20 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Michael Best
From: MRUFOIA Requests
Sir/Madam,
Please see the attached response to your FOIA request. Please note, your request has been assigned tracking number EMRUFOIA041016.
Thank you,
MRU FOIA
From:
Dear Mr. Best,
Please see attached acknowledgment of your request for records from the Bureau of Prisons.
From: Eason, Chaun E (COPS)
Dear Mr. Best,
Please find attached the COPS Office’s final letter in response to your FOIA request.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Chaun Eason
COPS FOIA Officer
From: CRM FOIA
Please see the attached, which is this Office's response to your request. If you have any
questions, please contact the FOIA/PA Unit at 202-616-0307[X] for further assistance.
Thank you,
FOIA/PA Unit
Criminal Division
U.S. Department of Justice
From: Department of Justice
An interim response, stating the request is being processed.
From: Meth, Randi (USTP)
Dear Mr. Best,
Please see attached.
Sincerely,
Randi Meth
From: OIP-NoReply@usdoj.gov
This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://foiaonline.regulations.gov:443/foia/action/public/view/request?objectId=090004d280c2bb59)
* Tracking Number: DOJ-2016-002504
* Requester Name: Michael Best
* Date Submitted: 04/12/2016
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description: records re the FOIA since 1980
From: OIP-NoReply@usdoj.gov
This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://foiaonline.regulations.gov:443/foia/action/public/view/request?objectId=090004d280c2bb89)
* Tracking Number: DOJ-2016-002505
* Requester Name: Michael Best
* Date Submitted: 04/12/2016
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description: records re the FOIA since 1980
From: OIP-NoReply@usdoj.gov
This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://foiaonline.regulations.gov:443/foia/action/public/view/request?objectId=090004d280c2bbdc)
* Tracking Number: DOJ-2016-002506
* Requester Name: Michael Best
* Date Submitted: 04/12/2016
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description: records re the FOIA since 1980
From: OIP-NoReply@usdoj.gov
This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://foiaonline.regulations.gov:443/foia/action/public/view/request?objectId=090004d280c2bbed)
* Tracking Number: DOJ-2016-002507
* Requester Name: Michael Best
* Date Submitted: 04/12/2016
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description: records re the FOIA since 1980
From: OIP-NoReply@usdoj.gov
This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://foiaonline.regulations.gov:443/foia/action/public/view/request?objectId=090004d280c2bbf4)
* Tracking Number: DOJ-2016-002508
* Requester Name: Michael Best
* Date Submitted: 04/12/2016
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description: records re the FOIA since 1980
From: OIP-NoReply@usdoj.gov
This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://foiaonline.regulations.gov:443/foia/action/public/view/request?objectId=090004d280c2bc17)
* Tracking Number: DOJ-2016-002509
* Requester Name: Michael Best
* Date Submitted: 04/12/2016
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description: records re the FOIA since 1980
From: OIP-NoReply@usdoj.gov
This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://foiaonline.regulations.gov:443/foia/action/public/view/request?objectId=090004d280c2bc4c)
* Tracking Number: DOJ-2016-002510
* Requester Name: Michael Best
* Date Submitted: 04/12/2016
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description: records re the FOIA since 1980
From: Department of Justice
An interim response, stating the request is being processed.
From: OPR NO-REPLY
Attached is OPR's response to FOIA request F16-00068.
_______________________________________________________________
This email is sent from an unmonitored mailbox that does not accept incoming mail.
Please do not reply or send email to this address.
-
OPR-#406974-v1-F16-00068_Best_Final_Response
From: Interpol-USNCB FOIA
Good Afternoon,
The attached document is in response to your FOIA request.
Sincerely,
INTERPOL Washington FOIA Service Center
(202)-616-0201
U.S. Department of Justice
Washington, D.C. 20530
From: Department of Justice
A no responsive documents response.
From: OIGFOIA (OIG)
Hello:
Attached is the OIG’s acknowledgement to your routed FOIA request.
Thanks.
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image001
From: MuckRock
Hi there,
Please consider this message confirmation that fees in the range of $20 will be provided for this request. Could you confirm to which address a check should be sent?
Thanks so much!
Beryl, MuckRock
From: USDOJ-Office of Legal Counsel (SMO)
Dear Mr. Best:
Attached, please find the acknowledgement letter for your FOIA request that was assigned tracking number OLC FY16-077.
Sincerely,
Melissa Golden, Esq.
Lead Paralegal and FOIA Specialist
Office of Legal Counsel
Department of Justice
Please note my new last name (formerly Kassier)
From: Kho, Irene (CRS)
Good Moring:
Attached please find CRS response to your FOIA request. Thank you.
Irene Kho
202-359-9175
From: Department of Justice
A fix is required to perfect the request. The request has been rejected as being too vague, burdensome or otherwise unprocessable.
From: Tennant, Sara (OIP)
Dear Mr. Best:
We've interpreted your April 10, 2016 FOIA request as seeking correspondence with Congress concerning FOIA reform legislation. Please be advised that, to the extent you're seeking other documents regarding "concerns" or relevant recommendations regarding the FOIA, such a request would encompass a broad range of records, including such possible material as revisions to the Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act, emails containing case law, and FOIA training opportunities, and we would not be able to effectively locate this material in a reasonably efficient manner. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Sara B. Tennant
Senior Government Information Specialist
Office of Information Policy
U.S. Department of Justice
1425 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 11050
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Ph: (202) 514-7868
Sara.Tennant@usdoj.gov<mailto:Sara.Tennant@usdoj.gov>
From: White, Alex
Dear Mr. Best,
Please see attached regarding your request for records.
From: MuckRock
Hi there,
Can you confirm that you received our agreement to pay $20?
Thanks so much,
Beryl, MuckRock
From: Lu, Sarah (ENRD)
Mr. Best,
Please see attached.
Regards,
Sarah Lu
Department of Justice, ENRD
Law and Policy Section
P.O. Box 7415
Ben Franklin Station
Washington, DC 20044-7415
T (202) 514-0424
F (202) 514-4231
sarah.lu@usdoj.gov<mailto:kelly.yamashita@usdoj.gov>
From: Cecil, Angie E. (CIV)
Dear Mr. Best,
Please find attached the Civil Division's response to your recent FOIA request.
Regards,
Angie E. Cecil
Senior Supervisory FOIA Counsel
Office of FOIA, Records, and E-discovery
Office of the Assistant Attorney General
Department of Justice-Civil Division
Direct (202) 616-4678
From: Fitzgerald, Debbie J. (TAX)
Good afternoon:
Attached, please find the Tax Division's acknowledgement of your Freedom of Information Act request dated April 12, 2016, along with the clarification sheet for completion.
Sincerely,
Debbie J. Fitzgerald
Legal Assistant
U.S. Department of Justice
Tax Division, CTS - Eastern
From: Department of Justice
A no responsive documents response.
From: Johnson, Delores
Mr. Best:
Attached is a response to your FOIA request to this office.
Delores Johnson
Contract Paralegal Specialist
Office of the General Counsel
Office of Justice Programs
Department of Justice
From: Department of Justice
A copy of documents responsive to the request.
From: OIGFOIA (OIG)
Hello:
Attached is the OIG’s response to your FOIA request.
Thanks.
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image001
From: Hayes, Shaniece (ATR)
Please see attached.
From: OIGFOIA (OIG)
Hello:
Attached is the OIG’s acknowledgement to your referred FOIA request.
Thanks.
From: OIGFOIA (OIG)
Hello:
Attached is the OIG’s response to your referred FOIA request.
Thanks.
From: OIGFOIA (OIG)
Hello:
Attached is the OIG’s response to your referred FOIA request.
Thanks.
From: US Pardon Attorney (imailagent)
November 30, 2016
Mr. Michael Best
411A Highland Ave
Somerville, MA 02144-2516
Re: Freedom of Information Act Request Number: 2016-059
Dear Mr. Best:
This correspondence is in response to your Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) request dated April 10, 2016 and received in the
Office of the Pardon Attorney (OPA) on April 12, 2016. I apologize for
the delay in responding to you but our office is dealing with a backlog
of requests while continuing to manage the Department's Clemency
Initiative. Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5
U.S.C. § 552 et seq., you requested records, documents, memos, reports,
monographs, surveys, impact assessments, threat assessments and other
records discussing concerns regarding the Freedom of Information Act
and the Privacy Act from 1980 to present, including correspondence with
Congress members and staffers regarding FOIA reform and relevant
recommendations.
Your request for records related to the Freedom of Information Act and
Privacy Act dating back to 1980 would require the Office of the Pardon
Attorney to conduct an unreasonably burdensome search and review. In
order for this Office to respond to your request, we would have to
manually pull thousands of files, conduct thousands of hours of
searching, conduct thousands of hours reviewing, consulting with other
Department employees, and possibly spend thousands of hours of
redacting exempt information in order to retrieve, review, and redact
the information you seek. We welcome you to make a less burdensome
request or explain to us what insight you expect to gain into
government operations so that we may attempt to assist you with
narrowing your search to something we can reasonably respond to.
If you have any questions about this request, please feel free to email
me at PardonAttorneyFOIA@usdoj.gov
<mailto:PardonAttorneyFOIA@usdoj.gov> and reference "Request Number:
2016-059" in the subject of your email. We have responded to a few
FOIA requests you submitted earlier this year just this week alone in
hopes to get you the answers you seek, but if we do not hear back from
you with a more clarified "perfected" request by Wednesday, December
14, 2016, we will close your request.
Sincerely,
William N. Taylor II
Executive Officer
Office of the Pardon Attorney
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IQFormatFile
From: Schaaf, Joseph R. (EOIR)
Dear Mr. Best,
I have recently taken over the FOIA Service Center at EOIR and I see we have an open request from you going back to April 2016, FOIA 2016-17553. I apologize this request has not been answered in a timely fashion.
This request for "records discussing concerns regarding the FOIA ..." and "correspondence ... regarding FOIA reform ..." was sent to all DOJ sub-agencies. I note that Congress has since passed the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016. In this context, do you still require these documents?
If I do not hear from you within 30 days, I will assume you no longer require the documents (if any) and will close your request administratively. Thank you!
J. R. Schaaf
Supervisory Associate General Counsel
Executive Office For Immigration Review
Department of Justice
703-305-0417
From: Michael Best
Yes, I am still interested in the materials I requested.
From: Schaaf, Joseph R. (EOIR)
OK, I will see what I can find for you. Wr/JRS
From: Department of Justice
A copy of documents responsive to the request.
From: Department of Justice - FOIA/PA Mail Referral Unit
A copy of documents responsive to the request.
From: Department of Justice - FOIA/PA Mail Referral Unit
A fix is required to perfect the request.
From: Department of Justice - FOIA/PA Mail Referral Unit
A fix is required to perfect the request.
From: Department of Justice - FOIA/PA Mail Referral Unit
From: Department of Justice - FOIA/PA Mail Referral Unit
Dear Mr. Best:
Please see the attached our letter of inquiry as to whether or not you are still interested in the requested records. We would greatly appreciate you advising us in writing whether you would like this Office to continue processing your request. If you have any questions, please contact the FOIA/PA Unit at 202 616-0307 for further assistance.
Thank you,
FOIA/PA Unit
Criminal Division
U.S. Department of Justice
From: Emma North-Best
Yes I am still interested in this and all other requests.
Files
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