Jeff Sessions 7/11/17 remarks to the Alliance Defending Freedom

To Whom It May Concern:

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:

The text of Attorney General Jeff Sessions' prepared remarks to the Alliance Defending Freedom on July 11, 2017 in Orange County, CA (https://twitter.com/dominicholden/status/884802592399818752).

I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

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 comments by the Attorney General to a prominent conservative legal organization. That is of current interest to the public as the organization has multiple major legal cases currently pending in federal courts and has frequently brought lawsuits against the federal government.

This information is being sought on behalf of ThinkProgress.org (an online news service) for dissemination to the general public.

Please waive any applicable fees. Release of the information is in the public interest because it will contribute significantly to public understanding of the Department of Justice's political priorities.

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.

Please provide expedited processing of this request which concerns a matter of urgency. As a journalist, I am primarily engaged in disseminating information. The public has an urgent need for information because there have been ongoing questions about the ethical and political decision-making of the attorney general.

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. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Josh Israel