IRS BOLOs

To Whom It May Concern:

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

Any "Be on the look out" guidance distributed by the IRS leadership to employees reviewing 501(c) applications between January 1, 2017 and today.

As a representative of the news media I am only required to pay for the direct cost of duplication after the first 100 pages. Through this request, I am gathering information on the IRS's handling of tax-exempt organization applications. That is of current interest to the public as it was been a major area of controversy during the Obama administration. This information is being sought on behalf of ThinkProgress.org (an online news service) for dissemination to the general public. The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

Please waive any applicable fees. Release of the information is in the public interest because it concerns whether the IRS is still providing keywords that lead to increased scrutiny for some political groups. 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.

If my request is denied in whole or part, I ask that you justify all deletions by reference to specific exemptions of the act. I will also expect you to release all segregable portions of otherwise exempt material. I, of course, reserve the right to appeal your decision to withhold any information or to deny a waiver of fees.

As I am making this request as a journalist and this information is of timely value, I would appreciate your communicating with me by email or telephone, rather than by mail, if you have questions regarding this request.

I certify that my statements concerning the need for expedited processing are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter.

Sincerely,

Josh Israel