LIV (Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General)

Attached is correspondence from the Department of Justice's Office of Information Policy, which is associated with the above-referenced Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

Please do not reply to this e-mail, as this account is not monitored.

Thank you,
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Initial Request Staff
Office of Information Policy
U.S. Department of Justice

Matthew Topic:

Good evening, this is in response to your inquiry below. As this Office advised in our acknowledgement letter dated July 6, 2023, this request has been assigned to the complex track and falls within unusual circumstances, due to the need to search outside this Office. Based on our most-recent FOIA Annual Report data, the average processing time for a request in the complex track is 525.76 days (see: https://www.justice.gov/oip/page/file/1570256/download). This would currently place our estimated date of completion for processing this request around August 4, 2025. This estimation is not a definite date nor any indication that our processing will take that length of time; however, since the search Is ongoing this is the time frame estimation, I am able to provide in response to your inquiry regarding estimated date of completion. Once the searching is completed, we will begin our review of potentially responsive records, and be able to provide an updated estimated date of completion, including possible interim responses.

This Office has initiated an ediscovery search of twenty-nine custodians for the Offices of the Offices of the Attorney Generals and Deputy Attorney General, which I estimate to be completed in six to seven months. This search estimation is not based on any issue with your FOIA request, but the backlog queue for ediscovery searches, which consists of FOIA requests that were received ahead of your FOIA request and need to be searched, as well as the number of custodians we are searching. Since the number of Department custodians subject to the records search is a factor in how long a records search takes to be completed, you may decide to narrow the parameters of the records search, such as limiting the custodians to search. Please be advised, you are not required to do so, I am only providing you an option that might help facilitate the search.

If you are no longer interested in emails related to the topic of your request, it would significantly facilitate our ability to provide a response as we could limit our search to the Department Executive Secretariat, which maintains official correspondence on behalf of the Offices of the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General.

Unless advised otherwise by you, we will continue our records search accordingly. Please review what I have provided and if you would like to further discuss your FOIA request, you may contact this Office.

I am out of the Office next week; however, should you reply to this email I will review once I return.

Thank you,

Valeree Villanueva.
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Valeree Villanueva

Supervisory Government Information Specialist &

FOIA Public Liaison

Office of Information Policy

U.S. Department of Justice

Main: (202) 514-3642

Matthew Topic:

Good afternoon, excuse the delayed response to your status inquiry concerning FOIA-2023-01665, which was received via mail in this Office on October 19, 2023 . This request seeks records concerning LIV Golf from June 1, 2023, to June 15, 2023.

As this Office advised in our letter dated July 6, 2023, this request falls within "unusual circumstances" and has been assigned to the complex track, due to the need to searching outside this Office, which adds time to the search and review of this request. Based on our most-recent FOIA Annual Report data, the average processing time for a request in the complex track is 525.76 days (see: https://www.justice.gov/oip/page/file/1570256/download). This would currently place our estimated date of completion for processing this request around August 4, 2025. Please be advised, this estimation is not a definite date nor any indication that our processing will take that length of time; however, since the search is ongoing this is the time frame estimation that I am able to provide when seeking a date of completion.

Currently, we have initiated the search for records responsive to this request. More specifically, we are conducting a search for emails that are potentially responsive to this request. We conduct such email searches by utilizing an ediscovery search platform that allows for more dynamic processing of the records once they are located. That said, the queue for such ediscovery searches is extensive and can cause a delay in our ability to respond to a FOIA request, as we are concurrently searching for records in connection to other FOIA requests, some of which were received before this request and are also on the complex track. This request currently requires a search of twenty-nine custodians of the Offices of the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General. At this time, I estimate the search to be completed in seven to eight months. Please be advised that estimates are subject to change, and if that occurs the requester will be advised.

Once the searching is completed, we will begin our review of potentially responsive records, and be able to provide an updated estimated date of completion, including possible interim responses. In an effort of facilitate our ability to respond, requesters may want to narrow the parameters of the records search, such as limiting to office leadership or providing a search start and end date. For your information, the number of Department custodians subject to the records search and the broadness of the timeframe of the search, are significant factors in how long the records search takes to be completed. Please be advised, requesters are not required to limit custodians or narrow the timeframe, I am only providing options that might help facilitate our search.

If you are no longer interested in emails related to the topic of this FOIA request, it would significantly facilitate our ability to provide a response as we could limit our search to the Department Executive Secretariat, which maintains official correspondence on behalf of the Offices of the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General.

Lastly, please be advised FOIA-2023-01666 was administratively closed in this office as it was determined to be duplicate FOIA request to FOIA-2023-01665. For future inquiries, please reference FOIA-2023-01665.

Unless advised otherwise, we will continue our processing with the understanding that you are interested in responsive emails and continue our records search accordingly. I hope this information is helpful. Should you have any additional questions or concerns regarding this request, please feel free to contact this Office.

Thank you,
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Valeree Villanueva
Supervisory Government Information Specialist &
FOIA Public Liaison
Office of Information Policy
U.S. Department of Justice
Main: (202) 514-3642

Matthew Topic:

Good evening, excuse the delayed response to your status inquiry concerning FOIA-2023-01665, dated December 25, 2023, which was received via mail in this Office on January 11, 2023. Excuse this delayed response as I was away and now catching up on all matters, including requester inquiries. This request seeks records concerning LIV Golf from June 1, 2023, to June 15, 2023.

Per my status update to you via the email provided for this FOIA request and sent on November 9, 2023 this request falls within "unusual circumstances" and has been assigned to the complex track, due to the need to searching outside this Office, which adds time to the search and review of this request. Based on our most-recent FOIA Annual Report data, the average processing time for a request in the complex track is 525.76 days (see: https://www.justice.gov/oip/page/file/1570256/download). This would currently place our estimated date of completion for processing this request around August 4, 2025. Please be advised, this estimation is not a definite date nor any indication that our processing will take that length of time; however, since the search is ongoing this is the time frame estimation that I am able to provide when seeking a date of completion.

The search remains ongoing for records responsive to this request utilizing an ediscovery search platform that allows for more dynamic processing of the records once they are located. The queue for such ediscovery searches is extensive and can cause a delay in our ability to respond to a FOIA request, as we are concurrently searching for records in connection to other FOIA requests, some of which were received before this request and are also on the complex track. This request currently requires a search of twenty-nine custodians of the Offices of the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General. Currently, I estimate the search to be completed in five to six months. Please be advised that estimates are subject to change, and if that occurs the requester will be advised.

Once the searching is completed, we will begin our review of potentially responsive records, and be able to provide an updated estimated date of completion, including possible interim responses. In an effort of facilitate our ability to respond, requesters may want to narrow the parameters of the records search, such as limiting to office leadership or providing a search start and end date. The number of Department custodians subject to the records search is a factor in how long a records search takes to be completed, you may decide to narrow the parameters of the records search, such as limiting the custodians to search to Office leadership. Another factor is the type of records being searched, searching email does not take as much time as search documents. Please be advised, you are not required to do so, I am only providing you an option that might help facilitate the search.
As I previously advised in my email sent November 9, 2023, If you are no longer interested in emails related to the topic of this FOIA request, it would significantly facilitate our ability to provide a response as we could limit our search to the Department Executive Secretariat, which maintains official correspondence on behalf of the Offices of the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General.

Regarding your inquiry below seeking "when you can expect to receive a response," and given the search remains ongoing, I estimate a response in nine to ten months. Please be advised estimates are subject to change. Once the search is completed, the estimated date of completion will be updated. Furthermore, this Office will work to provide interim responses, when able to do so.
Lastly, please be advised FOIA-2023-01666 was administratively closed in this office as it was determined to be duplicate FOIA request to FOIA-2023-01665. For future inquiries, please reference FOIA-2023-01665.

Unless advised otherwise, we will continue our processing with the understanding that you are interested in responsive emails and continue our records search accordingly. I hope this information is helpful. Should you have any additional questions or concerns regarding this request, please feel free to contact this Office.

Thank you,
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Valeree Villanueva
Supervisory Government Information Specialist &
FOIA Public Liaison
Office of Information Policy
U.S. Department of Justice
Main: (202) 514-3642

Matthew Topic:

Good evening, this is a response to your status inquiry concerning FOIA-2023-01666, dated March 25, 2024, which was received via mail in this Office on April 11, 2024.

As an initial matter FOIA-2023-01666, was received by this Office on June 26, 2023; however, it was received after this Office received FOIA-2023-01665. Accordingly, since the requested information being sought in FOIA-2024-01666 was duplicative of the information being requested in FOIA-2023-01665, this Office administratively closed FOIA-2023-01666 on July 11, 2023. As such, all information pertaining to the subject to your request should be referenced to FOIA-2023-01665.

For future FOIA request inquiries, please reference FOIA-2023-01665.

I previously emailed you a status update on February 23, 2024, in which I advised (1) the estimated date of completion (August 4, 2025) based on the number of days it take to complete a request assigned to the complex track, which your request is, (2) this Office is searching for responsive records of twenty-nine custodians in the Offices of the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General and estimated the search to be completed in five to six months, (3) explained factors of why a search might take long to be completed, (3) if no longer interested in email, this Office can limit the search to the Department Executive Secretariat, which maintains official correspondence on behalf of the Offices of the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General, (4) estimated nine to ten months to expect a response, and (5) FOIA-2023-01666 was administrative closed as duplicate for FOIA-2023-01665. To be of assistance I have attached that status email I sent regarding your FOIA request.

Please be advised, we are still within the time range of my estimation for the search to be completed, which I provided in my February 23, 2024 email. Accordingly, as the search remains ongoing, I would recommend contacting this Office in June to check the status of the search.

Unless advised otherwise, we will continue our processing with the understanding that you are interested in responsive emails and continue our records search accordingly. I hope this information is helpful. Should you have any additional questions or concerns regarding this request, please feel free to contact this Office.

Thank you,
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Valeree Villanueva
Supervisory Government Information Specialist &
FOIA Public Liaison
Office of Information Policy
U.S. Department of Justice
Main: (202) 514-3642