Franklin the Fair Housing Fox

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

Dear HUD:

This is a request for records under the Freedom of Information Act. I am seeking records related to HUD's mascot, Franklin the Fair Housing Fox.

RECORDS REQUESTED:

(A) All contracts related to Franklin the Fair Housing Fox

(B) All agency guidance related to the use of the Franklin the Fair Housing Fox character

I also seek records sufficient to answer the following questions:

(1) Whose idea was it to have a mascot in the first place, and why?

(2) Who designed the mascot, and what was the design process like (e.g. were there multiple design concepts submitted? Was the design of the character contracted out? (If so, kindly produce the contract).

(3) Were any Franklin-related promotional items or tchotchkes created (e.g. trading cards, stuffed animals, coloring books)? If so, please produce them.

(4) Were there any life-size Franklin costumes created? If so, please produce records related to the design of the costume (contracts, sketches, etc.) and any guidelines regarding the use of or care for the costume.

(5) Did anyone in Congress ever object to HUD's use of a mascot? I understand that there have been periodic attempts by lawmakers (e.g. former Oklahoma senator Tom Coburn) to rein in agency spending on mascots. If so, please produce all records related to that.

(6) Is HUD still using the Franklin mascot as part of its public outreach? If not, why not?

Thank you very much,

Nicholas Marritz

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,

Nicholas Marritz

Dear Ms. Harding:

I wanted to follow up about my FOIA request 22-FI-HQ-01257. It's been more than a year since I last heard from you about it. Any updates?

Very respectfully,

Nicholas Marritz

Dear Ms. Harding: Thank you for your letter. I am still interested in my FOIA request regarding Franklin the Fair Housing Fox. Please let me know when I can expect to receive the records.

Many thanks,

Nicholas Marritz

Also, I find it very concerning that HUD responded to my request for a FOIA update with a letter asking me if I was still interested in my FOIA request—and threatening to close my request if I didn’t respond within 30 days. Obviously I was still interested, or I wouldn’t have asked for an update. And threatening to close my request in response to a very innocuous email seems inappropriate—particularly when this is the first I’ve heard from the agency in more than a year.

I suggest that HUD change its policy: when a FOIA requester asks for a status update, HUD should provide an update rather than send a “still interested?” letter that could result in the request being closed.

Very respectfully,

Nicholas Marritz

Deborah R. Snowden
Office of the Executive Secretariat
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th St., S.W., Room 10139
Washington, D.C. 20410

Dear Ms. Snowden:

I am writing to complain about HUD’s recent treatment of my FOIA request 22-FI-HQ-01257. After hearing nothing from the agency for over a year, I emailed the FOIA officer to ask for a status update. But instead of a status update, I instead received a letter asking if I was still interested in my FOIA request and stating that if I did not respond in 30 days, my request would be closed. This is alarming—obviously I was still interested in my FOIA request, or I would not have asked for a status update about it. And threatening to close my request if HUD didn’t hear from me within 30 days, when HUD had not communicated with me for over a year, is some serious agency chutzpah.

I respectfully ask that HUD change its policy: when a FOIA requester asks for a status update, HUD should give them one. It should not trigger an action that might lead to the request being closed.

Most sincerely,

Nicholas Marritz

Thank you for the update, Ms. Harding.

Attn: Deborah Snowden

Dear Ms. Snowden:

Thank you very much for sending these records. While I am disappointed that other responsive records were likely destroyed, I appreciate your willingness to answer my questions—I recognize that the FOIA does not require you to do that. So thank you for shedding some light on the history of Franklin the Fair Housing Fox!

Most sincerely,

Nicholas Marritz