J. Robert Oppenheimer (NARA)

This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://www.foiaonline.gov/foiaonline/action/public/submissionDetails?trackingNumber=NARA-NGC-2018-000766&type=request)
* Tracking Number: NARA-NGC-2018-000766
* Requester Name: Paul Galante
* Date Submitted: 08/02/2018
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description: To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:
Copies of FBI files relating to J. Robert Oppenheimer. Previous requests to the FBI FOIA office note that the following files may be in your possession:
100-HQ-17828
100-WF-12553
100-SF-3132
100-SF-16980
If the requested files are not related to Oppenheimer, please process them anyway.
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,
Paul Galante

Dear Mr. Galante,

Thank you for submitting your Freedom of Information Act request to the
National Archives and Records Administration, via the *FOIAOnline*
website. We received your request on August 2, 2018.

This office handles FOIA and Privacy Act requests for the National Archives
and Records Administration's *operational *records (records created by this
agency). Because your *FOIAOnline* request is for records that may be*
archival *records (records that were created by or originated in a
different agency but that may have been transferred to the legal custody of
NARA), we have forwarded it to our *Office of Research Services, Special
Access and FOIA* staff who handle FOIA requests for archival records.

Since the *Office of Research Services, Special Access and FOIA* does not
process FOIA requests through *FOIAOnline*, your request has been removed
from the *FOIAOnline* website and you will be assigned a new tracking
number by that office within the next 20 business days. If you would like
to follow up with that office directly, please contact them at the address
below, or electronically via email.

Special Access and FOIA Staff (RD-F)

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500

College Park, MD 20740

By phone: 301-837-3190

By fax: 301-837-1864

By email: specialaccess_foia@nara.gov

For your reference, a copy of your request is below.

Please visit our website at www.archives.gov/foia for further information
about FOIA. On our main website, www.archives.gov, you can learn more
about the resources we offer to the public, and you can access our online
catalog.

Thank you for contacting the National Archives

Sincerely,
Susan Gillett
Government Information Specialist
Office of General Counsel
National Archives and Records Administration
College Park, MD 20740-6001
301-837-3409
susan.gillett@nara.gov

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <admin@foiaonline.gov>
Date: Thu, Aug 2, 2018 at 7:37 AM
Subject: FOIA Request Deletion: NARA-NGC-2018-000766
To: susan.gillett@nara.gov

Below is an export of the submitted request information for the FOIA
request NARA-NGC-2018-000766.

- *Name and Address*
- First Name: Paul
- Middle Initial:
- Last Name: Galante
- Organization:
- Mailing Address Location: United States/U.S. Territories
- Address Line 1: MuckRock News, 411A Highland Ave
- Address Line 2: DEPT MR 58896
- City: Somerville
- State/Province: MA
- Zip/Postal Code: 02144
- *Contact Information*
- E-mail Address: requests@muckrock.com
- Phone Number:
- Fax Number:
- *Agency and Fee Information*
- Assigned Agency: NGC - Office of General Counsel
- Will Pay Up To: $0.00
- *Description*
- To Whom It May Concern:

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

Copies of FBI files relating to J. Robert Oppenheimer. Previous
requests to the FBI FOIA office note that the following files may be in
your possession:

100-HQ-17828
100-WF-12553
100-SF-3132
100-SF-16980

If the requested files are not related to Oppenheimer, please process
them anyway.

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,

Paul Galante
- *Fee Waiver*
- Fee Waiver Requested: No
- Fee Waiver Reason:
- *Expedited Processing*
- Expedited Processing Requested: No
- Expedited Processing Reason:

August 27, 2018

Paul Galante

MuckRock News

411A Highland Ave

DEPT MR 58896

Somerville, MA 02144

requests@muckrock.com

Dear Mr. Galante,

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request
received by this office on August 2, 2018 for records in the custody of the
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Your request was
assigned case number RD 57952.

We are currently working to determine which unit within NARA is most likely
to have custody of records responsive to your request. We will reply as
soon as possible.

If you have any questions concerning this action, or to notify this office
of a change in your contact information please email
specialaccess_foia@nara.gov or telephone 301-837-3190. All communications
concerning this request should reference your case tracking number RD 57952.

Sincerely,
--
Jessie Hartman
Government Information Specialist
Special Access and FOIA Branch
National Archives at College Park
301.837.1905

Dear Mr. Galante,

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information Act request received
by this office on August 2, 2018 for records in the custody of the National
Archives and Records Administration. Your request was assigned case number
RD 57952 and received a preliminary response on August 27, 2018.

You requested access to the following FBI case file numbers:

*100-HQ-17828* - identified by the FBI as potentially responsive to your
request for records relating to J. Robert Oppenheimer. My initial
assessment confirms that Oppenheimer is in fact the subject of this file.
The file has an estimated 16900 pages, compiled as part of an internal
security investigation conducted between March 1941 and February 1984.

As a result of a previous request for 100-HQ-17828, seventeen serial
numbered documents from this file are currently open in full and available.
For your convenience, I have attached courtesy copies to this message.

*100-SF-3132* - identified by the FBI as potentially responsive to your
request for records relating to J. Robert Oppenheimer. My initial
assessment confirms that Oppenheimer is in fact the subject of this file.
The file has an estimated 3,150 pages, compiled as part of an internal
security investigation conducted between March 1941 and October 1993.

*100-WF-12553* - This file has not been transferred to the National
Archives. We contacted the FBI on your behalf to confirm that 100-WF-12553
was never sent to the National Archives and received confirmation on
September 3rd. If you wish to view this file, we recommend you contact the
FBI directly (https://www.fbi.gov/services/records-management/foipa) to
further your search. That said, I believe you requested this file number in
error and the file you wish to request is actually *100-WF-12253 *rather
than 100-WF-1*25*53.

*100-WF-12253 *- I have identified this file as responsive to your request
for materials relating to J. Robert Oppenheimer. The file has an estimated
3,400 pages, compiled as part of an internal security investigation
conducted between February 1943 and May 1977.

*100-SF-16980* - The subject of this file is Communist Infiltration of
Radiation Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California.
Because this is wholly different subject, the portion of your request
relating to 100-SF-16980 has been split to another FOIA case number: RD
58482. Your request under RD 58482 will be addressed through a separate
response.

All of these files require screening for categories of information exempted
from disclosure under the terms of the FOIA, prior to public release. In
particular, there are documents that may be redacted to protect the
identities of confidential sources, including FBI informant codes and
informant file numbers.

Collectively, the three responsive files relating to Oppenheimer
(100-HQ-17828, 100-SF-3132 and 100-WF-12253) amount to approximately 23,450
pages. Requests for materials that exceed 500 pages are assigned to
our second-tier processing queue. To give you an indication of our existing
backlog, we are currently processing requests received in October 2012. Files
with more than 1,000 pages are processed on an incremental basis. We will
review the records in increments of 1000 pages and then return the request
to the second-tier queue for the next 1000 pages until the request is
complete.

*While we will be pleased to process your request for 100-HQ-17828,
100-SF-3132 and 100-WF-12253 in its entirety, we would like to offer you
the opportunity to narrow your request and potentially reduce the
processing time**. *Requests that do not exceed 500 pages are assigned to
our first-tier processing queue. Taking into consideration our existing
backlog, the estimated time required to complete the processing of a tier 1
request is approximately 24 months from the date of this letter. *Your
request will be eligible for our shorter first-tier response if you select
one of the following options:*

1. *Limit your request to Volumes 1-4 of **100-HQ-17828*. This will amount
to approximately 500 pages covering the period of March 1941 to December
1946 (though I note additional December 1946 materials in Volume 5). As a
headquarters file, this file will contain all the most substantive
materials that also appear in the field office files you requested.
Headquarters files, generally speaking, contain the most substantive
information found in FBI files. Please be aware, however, that this file
has already been requested by two other researchers. If you wish, we could
remove this file from your FOIA request and simply notify you when we
review the file on behalf of the other researchers. This would allow you to
select one of the options below while still receiving documents from
100-HQ-17828.
*However, removing this case file from your request carries a risk; if you
remove it and ask to be notified when we process this file for the two
previous requesting individuals, you will not receive anything from this
case file if the two other individuals should withdraw their requests. In
that event, you will have to resubmit a FOIA for 100-HQ-17828 . *

2. *Limit your request to Volumes 1 and 2 of 100-SF-3132*. This will amount
to approximately 500 pages covering the period of March 1941 to February
1947 (though I note additional February 1947 materials in Volume 3).

3. *Limit your request to Volumes 1-3 of 100-WFO-12253*. This will amount
to approximately 400 pages covering the period of February 1943 to January
1954 (though I note that additional January 1954 materials appear in
Volume 4).

Please let me know which of the three options you wish to take - if any
(again, you are welcome to request a complete processing of all the files)
- and I will alter your request accordingly.

To notify this office of a change in your contact information or to track
the status of your request, please telephone 301-837-3190 or e-mail
specialaccess_foia@nara.gov. If you have specific questions regarding the
subject of your request, please contact me directly at [CONTACT
INFORMATION]. All communications concerning this request should reference
your case tracking number christopher.abraham@nara.gov or 301-837-2958

If you are not satisfied with our action on this request and would like the
opportunity to discuss our response, you may contact our FOIA Public
Liaison for assistance:

Accessioned Executive Branch Records – Washington, DC Area

FOIA Requester Service Center: 301-837-3190

Acting FOIA Public Liaison: Britney Crawford

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

Telephone: 301-837-3270

E-mail: dc.foia.liaison@nara.gov

Sincerely,

*Chris Abraham*
Archivist
Special Access and FOIA Branch (RD-F)
301.837.2958
www.archives.gov/research/foia/

Dear Mr. Galante,

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information Act request received
by this office on August 2, 2018 for records in the custody of the National
Archives and Records Administration. You requested access to FBI case file
numbers 100-HQ-17828; 100-SF-3132; 100-WF-12553 and 100-SF-16980. We
provided a *preliminary response on August 27, 2018*. This response relates
to *100-SF-16980* and is assigned case number RD 58482. The remaining three
cases were assigned case number RD 57952 and were addressed in a separate email
sent earlier today. .

You requested access to case file number 100-SF-16980. My initial
assessment indicates that Communist Infiltration of Radiation Laboratory,
University of California, Berkeley, California is the subject of this file.
The file has an estimated 39,150 pages, compiled as part of an internal
security investigation conducted between February 1943 and August 1960
(with materials relating to file retention dating from 1988 to 1994).

This file requires screening for categories of information exempted from
disclosure under the terms of the FOIA, prior to public release. In
particular, there are documents that may be redacted to protect the
identities of confidential sources, including FBI informant codes and
informant file numbers.

Requests for materials that exceed 500 pages are assigned to
our second-tier processing queue. To give you an indication of our existing
backlog, we are currently processing requests received in October 2012. Files
with more than 1,000 pages are processed on an incremental basis. We will
review the records in increments of 1000 pages and then return the request
to the second-tier queue for the next 1000 pages until the request is
complete.

*While we will be pleased to process your request for 100-SF-16980 in its
entirety, we would like to offer you the opportunity to narrow your request
and potentially reduce the processing time**. *Requests that do not exceed
500 pages are assigned to our first-tier processing queue. Taking into
consideration our existing backlog, the estimated time required to complete
the processing of a tier 1 request is approximately 24 months from the date
of this letter. *Your request will be eligible for our shorter first-tier
processing queue if you elect to reduce your request to Volumes 1 and 2 of
100-SF-16980 only. Volumes 1 and 2 amount to approximately 450 pages
covering the span of February 1943 to May 28, 1943. *

*Please let me know what you decide and we will proceed accordingly. *

To notify this office of a change in your contact information or to track
the status of your request, please telephone 301-837-3190 or e-mail
specialaccess_foia@nara.gov. If you have specific questions regarding the
subject of your request, please contact me directly at
christopher.abraham@nara.gov or 301-837-2958. All communications concerning
this request should reference your case tracking number 58482.

If you are not satisfied with our action on this request and would like the
opportunity to discuss our response, you may contact our FOIA Public
Liaison for assistance:

Accessioned Executive Branch Records – Washington, DC Area

FOIA Requester Service Center: 301-837-3190

Acting FOIA Public Liaison: Britney Crawford

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

Telephone: 301-837-3270

E-mail: dc.foia.liaison@nara.gov

Sincerely,

*Chris Abraham*
Archivist
Special Access and FOIA Branch (RD-F)
301.837.2958
www.archives.gov/research/foia/