John Richard Pilger

To Whom It May Concern:

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

I am writing to request a copy of any FBI files on John Richard Pilger. I am seeking records relating to or mentioning John Richard Pilger personally, and as well any records relating to John Richard Pilger's work as an investigative journalist and as a public figure involved in investigating many international stories in the public interest. This includes but is not limited to his political work in pledging bail in Britain for the award winning investigative journalist and at the time editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange.

Born October 9th, 1939 in Bondi in New South Wales, Australia, John Richard Pilger died December 30th, 2023 in London, England. He was widely acclaimed as an internationally award winning, and extremely well respected investigative journalist. He was an Australian and a British citizen. His death at age 84 was widely reported in the media in late December of 2023 and in January 2024. He is also known by the name John Pilger.

Major media outlets across America and internationally as of early 2024 have reported his death including: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/business/media/john-pilger-dead.html

Please conduct searches of the Central Records System, including but not limited to the SENTINEL system, FBI email system, the Electronic Surveillance (ELSUR) Records System, the Microphone Surveillance (MISUR) Indices, the Physical Surveillance (FISUR) Indices, Technical Surveillance (TESUR) Indices, Counter-drug Information Indices System (CIIS), Investigative Data Warehouse (IDW) including but not limited to Investigative Data Warehouse - Secret, IDW-S Core, SPT, and DOCLAB-S, FBI Automated Case Support system (ACS), subset of the Electronic Case File (ECF) system, National Crime Information Center (NCIC), Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), Interstate Photo System (IPS) and/or Facial Recognition Databases such as those used by FACE (Facial Analysis, Comparison, and Evaluation) specialists, and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant applications and/or Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) record filings, for both main-file records and cross-reference records for all relevant names, individuals, agencies and companies. Please further consult all available cross-reference indices, databases, and records, in addition to any other data sources containing potentially-responsive materials related to John Richard Pilger.

Please include all potentially responsive materials, including but not limited to all communications, reports, investigations, inquiries, audio files, photographs or image files, video files, memos, email systems, directives, network packet captures, meeting minute notes, calendar entries, and any other data or data format that is used by the FBI. Please include all materials found in other subject files and all materials associated with any potentially-related names and any other known aliases, code names, nicknames, or any other identifying pseudonyms or references utilized by this agency or any other agency that is known to the FBI. Please additionally include searches for inter-agency or non-agency communications accessible by the FBI about John Richard Pilger.

If any potentially responsive records have been destroyed and/or transferred to NARA, then I request copies of the destruction or transfer slips as well as any other documentation relating to, mentioning or describing said transfer or destruction, to include but not be limited to confirmation that the Bureau has no other copies of said records. If previously released records are available, then I request a rolling release consisting of those records while additional records are located and processed for release.

It is my understanding that your agency is required to search the records stored at NARA’s Washington Records Center in Suitland, MD, which remain technically under your agency’s control (see 36 CFR 1250.8). Please also conduct a search of records at NARA's Washington Records Center in Suitland, for records related to John Richard Pilger.

Furthermore, I request the FOIA log and copies of all other requests for information on John Richard Pilger including the responsive documents.

John Richard Pilger was a public figure. This request is a critical part of a journalistic research project which requires the responsive documents for informing the public. I have previously been determined to meet the criteria for a full fee waiver under journalistic and academic requester status. I am however currently waiting for a copy of that determination letter from the FBI. I am able to produce the relevant FOIA reference where this determination was made by the FBI, if that is needed.

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,

Jacob Appelbaum