Jim Brown

Dear FBI:

This is a request for records under the Freedom of Information Act.

RECORDS REQUESTED

All records related to James Nathaniel Brown. Mr. Brown was an NFL running back for the Cleveland Browns, an actor, and a social justice activist. He was born on 17 February 1936 in St. Simons Island, GA, USA. He died on 18 May 2023.

PROOF OF DEATH
Obituaries for Mr. Brown appeared in numerous national media, including NPR, https://www.npr.org/2023/05/19/1118051361/nfl-hall-of-fame-cleveland-browns-running-back-jim-brown-dead, the New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/19/sports/football/im-brown-dead.html, and ESPN (see attached).

CROSS-REFERENCE SEARCH

Please conduct a cross-reference search of your files on the following people and organizations to see if they contain additional records related to Mr. Brown:

(1) Negro Industrial Economic Union
(2) Black Economic Union
(3) Muhammad Ali / Cassius Clay
(4) Nation of Islam
(5) The Cleveland Summit
(6) Amer-I-Can Foundation

REQUEST FOR FEE WAIVER

I respectfully request that all fees related to this request be waived.

Public Interest Factors:

1. The subject of the request must concern identifiable operations or activities of the Federal Government. My request satisfies this factor because it seeks records created or maintained by the FBI.

2. The records must be likely to contribute to the understanding of the subject of the request. My request satisfies this factor because Mr. Brown has recently died, so the Bureau may now be able to release records that were not previously available via the FOIA/PA.

3. The disclosure must contribute to the understanding of the public—meaning a reasonably broad audience of persons interested in the subject—as opposed to the individual understanding of the requester. My request satisfies this factor because Mr. Brown was a public figure. He is considered one of the best running backs and best NFL players of all time. In 2002, he was named by The Sporting News as the greatest professional football player ever. When Mr. Brown died last week, President Barack Obama wrote, "I was too young to remember Jim Brown's playing days, but I knew his legacy. One of the greatest football players ever, he was also an actor and activist – speaking out on civil rights, and pushing other black athletes to do the same." Thus, a broad audience of persons will likely be interested in the records I seek. I will also make any records available online for free via muckrock.com, a FOIA-and-journalism site that lets people share the results of their FOIA requests and encourages journalism around them.

4. The public's understanding must be enhanced by the disclosure to a significant extent. My request likely satisfies this factor because Mr. Brown has recently died—meaning that the Bureau can now release responsive records that it could not have released until now. The FBI is known to have surveilled Mr. Brown because of his activism critical of the U.S. government and the Vietnam War. Thus, the public has an significant interest in knowing how its government has surveilled those who oppose its policies.

Commercial Interest Factors

1. The existence and magnitude of a commercial interest: I have no commercial interest whatsoever in these records; I am just a curious American citizen with an interest in his government's surveillance of its critics. Thus, this factor cuts in favor of a fee waiver.

2. The primary interest in disclosure, i.e., whether disclosure is primarily in the commercial interest of the requester: I have zero commercial interest in disclosure, therefore the public interest outweighs my (nonexistent) private interest.

Conclusion:

On balance, all of the Bureau's regulatory factors tilt decisively in favor of granting me a fee waiver. If you do decide to charge me fees, please notify me in advance if you anticipate that those fees will exceed $25.

Dear FBI:

Thank you for your message regarding my request for records relating to James Nathaniel Brown (Request No. 1593272-000). The Bureau's response letter included this:

"Additional records potentially responsive to your subject may exist. Please inform us by emailing foipaquestions@fbi.gov or replying through standard mail if you would like the FBI to conduct a search of the indices to our Central Records System."

I hereby request that the FBI conduct such a search.

With thanks,

Nicholas Marritz