Martin James Beckman, FBI file

Nick Martin filed this request with the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States of America.

It is a clone of this request.

Tracking #

1428779-000

Est. Completion None
Status
Fix Required

Communications

From: Nick Martin

To Whom It May Concern:

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

A copy of all documents or FBI files pertaining to Martin James Beckman (aka Red Beckman, aka M.J. "Red" Beckman), an obituary of whom was published by the Western Ag Reporter under the headline "Martin James (Red) Beckman November 21, 1928 – December 30, 2018." A PDF of the obituary is attached to this request and may also be found at: https://westernagreporter.com/articles/2019/martin-james-red-beckman-november-21-1928-december-30-2018/

Sometimes called the "Father of the Patriot Movement," Beckman gained a measure of fame within the anti-tax militia movement for refusing to pay more than $100,000 in income taxes and $34,000 in property taxes, contending that U.S. tax laws are illegal. The IRS auctioned Beckman's property in 1979, but he refused to leave. In a 1992 ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also assessed $1,500 in sanctions against him, saying his arguments were "wholly without merit and frivolous." Finally, his home was bulldozed in 1994. He attracted about 100 sympathizers to a rally in Billings to protest the foreclosure — an event he billed as "No More Wacos." At a press conference that year, he called the IRS "a total criminal organization" and vowed, "We will put it out of business at some point."

In addition to being a tax protester and conspiracy theorist who believed the Federal Reserve and International Monetary Fund were conspiring to dominate the world, Beckman was a notorious anti-Semite. He was the author of the book "The Church Deceived," in which he claims the Holocaust was God's punishment of Jews for worshiping Satan. He also authored the books "Walls in Our Minds" and "Born Again Republic."

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,

Nick Martin
Investigative Reporter
Southern Poverty Law Center

From: Federal Bureau of Investigation

There are eFOIA files available for you to download.

  • E3623724f3ce5e1140758ae4cdf8face236d059b4_Q51157_D2206072

From: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Thank you for contacting foipaquestions@fbi.gov. Please check the status of your FOIPA Request at http://vault.fbi.gov by clicking on “Check Status of Your FOI/PA Request” on the right side of the page, and follow the instructions below.

Check the Status of Your FOIPA Request
If your FOIPA Number is [1234567-0] please enter [1234567-000] into the system. If your FOIPA Number is [1234567-1] please enter [1234567-001] into the system. If you have any questions about the status of your FOIPA request, please e-mail foipaquestions@ic.fbi.gov.

FIND STATUS OF FOIPA- Request statuses are updated weekly

Please enter the whole FOIPA number-Example: [1234567-000]

FOIPA:
Results will show the Request Number, Case Type and Process Description shown below:
FOIPA:
1234567-000

Case Type:
FOIPA

Process Description (Will display the current progress of the request)
The FBI’s FOIPA Program is searching the FBI’s indices for potentially responsive documents.
You may be contacted via formal letter for all fees and/or negotiation issues that may apply.

NOTE: Recent requests are entered into the FOIPA database in the order that they are received. Before you can check the status, you must have received correspondence assigning a FOIPA request number and the information transferred to the online database. Status information is updated weekly. If a request has been closed within the last six months the online database will display the following: The FOIPA number entered has been closed, and appropriate correspondence has been sent to the address on file.

Estimated Dates of Completion
Requests are processed in the order in which they are received through our multi-track processing system. Requests are divided into two primary tracks--simple (under 50 pages of potentially responsive documents) and complex (over 50 pages of potentially responsive documents). Complex requests are further divided into medium, large, and extra-large sub-tracks based upon request size. Simple track requests typically require the least amount of time to process. Currently, simple track cases average approximately 138 days from the date of receipt for processing. Our complex requests in the medium processing track are currently averaging 571 days, large processing track are currently averaging approximately 1,289 days, and extra-large processing track are currently averaging 1,649 days for processing.

Respectfully,

Public Information Officer
Record/Information Dissemination Section (RIDS) FBI-Information Management Division
170 Marcel Drive, Winchester, VA 22602-4843
Direct: (540) 868-4593
Fax: (540) 868-4391
Questions E-mail: foipaquestions@fbi.gov<mailto:foipaquestions@fbi.gov>

Do you have further questions about the FOI/PA process? Visit us at http://www.fbi.gov/foia

Please check the status of your request online at https://vault.fbi.gov/fdps-1/@@search-fdps Status updates are performed on a weekly basis.

Note: This is a non-emergency email address. If this is an emergency, please call 911 directly. If you need to report a tip for immediate action, please contact FBI Tips at http://tips.fbi.gov/ or reach out to your local field office.

From: Federal Bureau of Investigation

There are eFOIA files available for you to download.

  • E3623724f3ce5e1140758ae4cdf8face236d059b4_Q51157_D2286646

From: Nick Martin

I am appealing this assessment of duplication fees, as 1) the time limit was not met, 2) I am a representative of the news media, and 3) the request is under 5,000 pages and no other exceptions are applicable.

Consider OIP guidance here: https://www.justice.gov/oip/oip-guidance/prohibition_on_assessing_certain_fees_when_foia_time_limits_not_met

"The basic rule is that when the agency fails to comply with any of the FOIA’s time limits, no search fees may be charged to “all other” or “commercial use” requesters and no duplication fees may be charged to requesters in preferred fee categories, i.e., representatives of the news media, and educational or noncommercial scientific institutions. 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(viii)(I)."

Please begin processing my request.

Nick Martin
Investigative Reporter

From: Federal Bureau of Investigation

FOIPAQUESTIONS@FBI.GOV is not the proper method for submitting appeals pertaining to FOIA requests.

You may file an appeal by writing to the Director, Office of Information Policy (OIP), United States Department of Justice, Suite 11050, 1425 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20530-0001, or you may submit an appeal through OIP’s FOIAonline portal by creating an account on the following web site: https://foiaonline.regulations.gov/foia/action/public/home. Your appeal must be postmarked or electronically transmitted within ninety (90) days from the date of the letter in order to be considered timely. If you submit your appeal by mail, both the letter and the envelope should be clearly marked “Freedom of Information Act Appeal.” Please cite the FOIPA Request Number assigned to your request so that it may be easily identified.

You may seek dispute resolution services by contacting the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at 877-684-6448, or by emailing ogis@nara.gov. Alternatively, you may contact the FBI’s FOIA Public Liaison by emailing foipaquestions@fbi.gov for dispute resolution services from the FBI. If you submit your dispute resolution correspondence by email, the subject heading should clearly state “Dispute Resolution Services,” and you should also cite the FOIPA Request Number assigned to your request. Your use of dispute resolution services does not toll the time limit to file a timely appeal with the Director, OIP, U.S. Department of Justice.

Public Information Officer
Record/Information Dissemination Section (RIDS) FBI-Information Management Division
170 Marcel Drive, Winchester, VA 22602-4843
Direct: (540) 868-4593
Fax: (540) 868-4391
Questions E-mail: foipaquestions@fbi.gov<mailto:foipaquestions@fbi.gov>

Do you have further questions about the FOI/PA process? Visit us at http://www.fbi.gov/foia

Please check the status of your request online at https://vault.fbi.gov/fdps-1/@@search-fdps Status updates are performed on a weekly basis.

Note: This is a non-emergency email address. If this is an emergency, please call 911 directly. If you need to report a tip for immediate action, please contact FBI Tips at http://tips.fbi.gov/ or reach out to your local field office.

From: Federal Bureau of Investigation

There are eFOIA files available for you to download.

  • E3623724f3ce5e1140758ae4cdf8face236d059b4_Q51157_D2292280

From: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Good Afternoon Mr. Martin,

We're contacting you about the FOIA request you made for records concerning Martin Beckman. The FBI located approximately 902 pages and audio/video media files potentially responsive to your request. Requests are processed in the order in which they are received through our multi-track processing system, and the FBI receives a voluminous amount of requests on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis. Requests are divided into two primary tracks--simple (under 50 pages of potentially responsive documents) and complex (over 50 pages of potentially responsive documents). Complex requests are further divided into medium (51-950 pages), large (951-8000 pages), and extra-large (over 8000 pages) sub-tracks based upon request size.

Simple track requests typically require the least amount of time to process. The more potentially responsive pages a request has, the more complex it becomes, greatly increasing the time required for processing. Generally, the larger the file, the longer it takes to process. A review of your request determined that it is currently in the large complex request large processing track. Given our current workload and staffing levels, it may yet be a long time before you begin to receive material from this request.

Reducing the scope of your request may accelerate the processing and allow for a more timely receipt of the information you seek, as it could potentially place your request into a smaller, faster processing track. Would you be willing to consider reducing the scope of your request? If so, we would be happy to help you to decide the best approach to take. If you are looking for something specific, we could approach the scope reduction process in that way. The current average time to complete a large track request is approximately 56 months.

Below is a list of all tracks and the average time approximately to complete each. Hopefully this breakdown will be helpful to you in reducing the scope of this request.

Simple track request (0- 50 pages) current average time is approximately 6 months to complete Medium track request (51-950 pages) current average time is approximately 26 months to complete Large track request (951-8000 pages) current average time is approximately 56 months to complete X-Large track request (over 8000 pages) current average time is approximately 77 months to complete

Please let us know if you would like to potentially reduce the scope of your request. If you reduce the size, you can request the additional records with a new FOIA request upon completion of this one.

We can be reached via email at fbi.foipa.negotiation@fbi.gov, or you may call 540-868-4894. We appreciate your patience and hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Negotiation Team
FOIA Support Unit
FBI Information Management Division
Fbi.foipa.negotiation@fbi.gov
540-868-4894

From: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Good Morning Mr. Martin,

We're following up with the email sent out last week to you with regards to your FOIA request 1428779-000. The original email goes into more detail for our contact with you. Please let us know if you are interested in narrowing the scope of this request please.

Simple track request (0- 50 pages) current average time is approximately 6 months to complete.
Medium track request (51-950 pages) current average time is approximately 26 months to complete.
Large track request (951-8000 pages) current average time is approximately 56 months to complete.
X-Large track request (over 8000 pages) current average time is approximately 77 months to complete.

We can be reached via email at fbi.foipa.negotiation@fbi.gov. We appreciate your patience and hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Negotiation Team
FBI Information Management Division
Fbi.foipa.negotiation@fbi.gov
540-868-4894

From: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Good Morning Mr. Martin,

We're following up with the emails sent out on July 30, 2019 and August 5, 2019 to you with regards to your FOIA request 1428779-000. The original email goes into more detail for our contact with you. Please let us know if you are interested in narrowing the scope of this request please.

Simple track request (0- 50 pages) current average time is approximately 6 months to complete.
Medium track request (51-950 pages) current average time is approximately 26 months to complete.
Large track request (951-8000 pages) current average time is approximately 56 months to complete.
X-Large track request (over 8000 pages) current average time is approximately 77 months to complete.

We can be reached via email at fbi.foipa.negotiation@fbi.gov. We appreciate your patience and hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Negotiation Team
FBI Information Management Division
Fbi.foipa.negotiation@fbi.gov
540-868-4894

From: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Thank you for contacting foipaquestions@fbi.gov. Please check the status of your FOIPA Request at http://vault.fbi.gov by clicking on “Check Status of Your FOI/PA Request” on the right side of the page, and follow the instructions below.

Check the Status of Your FOIPA Request
If your FOIPA Number is [1234567-0] please enter [1234567-000] into the system. If your FOIPA Number is [1234567-1] please enter [1234567-001] into the system. If you have any questions about the status of your FOIPA request, please e-mail foipaquestions@ic.fbi.gov.

FIND STATUS OF FOIPA- Request statuses are updated weekly

Please enter the whole FOIPA number-Example: [1234567-000]

FOIPA:
Results will show the Request Number, Case Type and Process Description shown below:
FOIPA:
1234567-000

Case Type:
FOIPA

Process Description (Will display the current progress of the request)
The FBI’s FOIPA Program is searching the FBI’s indices for potentially responsive documents.
You may be contacted via formal letter for all fees and/or negotiation issues that may apply.

NOTE: Recent requests are entered into the FOIPA database in the order that they are received. Before you can check the status, you must have received correspondence assigning a FOIPA request number and the information transferred to the online database. Status information is updated weekly. If a request has been closed within the last six months the online database will display the following: The FOIPA number entered has been closed, and appropriate correspondence has been sent to the address on file.

Estimated Dates of Completion
Requests are processed in the order in which they are received through our multi-track processing system. Requests are divided into two primary tracks--simple (under 50 pages of potentially responsive documents) and complex (over 50 pages of potentially responsive documents). Complex requests are further divided into medium, large, and extra-large sub-tracks based upon request size. Simple track requests typically require the least amount of time to process. Currently, simple track cases average approximately 138 days from the date of receipt for processing. Our complex requests in the medium processing track are currently averaging 571 days, large processing track are currently averaging approximately 1,289 days, and extra-large processing track are currently averaging 1,649 days for processing.

Respectfully,

Public Information Officer
FBI - Information Management Division
170 Marcel Drive
Winchester, VA 22602
O: (540) 868-4593
F: (540) 868-4391
E: foipaquestions@fbi.gov<mailto:foipaquestions@fbi.gov>

Do you have further questions about the FOI/PA process? Visit us at http://www.fbi.gov/foia

Please check the status of your request online at https://vault.fbi.gov/fdps-1/@@search-fdps Status updates are performed on a weekly basis.

Note: This is a non-emergency email address. If this is an emergency, please call 911 directly. If you need to report a tip for immediate action, please contact FBI Tips at http://tips.fbi.gov/ or reach out to your local field office.

From: Federal Bureau of Investigation

A fix is required to perfect the request.

From: Nick Martin

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing in response to your letter, attached here and dated December 6, 2023, inquiring whether I remain interested in receiving all records responsive to my FOIPA request, which has been assigned number 1428779-000, the subject of which is BECKMAN, MARTIN JAMES.

This letter is to CONFIRM that I am still requesting all responsive records and that I am aware it has been assigned to the large track.

If you have any further questions, please let me know.

Thank you,

Nick Martin

From: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Good Morning Mr. Martin,

Thank you for your email. We have noted that you are still interested in the potentially responsive documents at this time.

After further review we need clarify that he FBI located approximately 902 pages and (1 hour and 42 minutes of audio media) and (36 hours and 24 minutes of video media) potentially responsive to your request. For clarification audio media releases are made in 30-minute increments per CD (1 release) and video media releases are made in 15-minute increments per CD (1 release). The current average time to complete your x-large track request is at least 79 months due to the amount of audio/video media potentially responsive to this request.

We want to inform you that the (estimated) average time of completion for requests within the multi-track processing system has been updated to reflect the following changes below.
Requests are processed in the order in which they are received through our multi-track processing system:
Small track requests (no media releases/only 0-50 pages) current average time is approximately 4 months to complete;
Medium track requests (up to 1 release/media) current average time is approximately 41 months to complete;
Large track requests (2-9 releases/media) current average time is approximately 67 months to complete; and
Extra-large track requests (10+ releases/media) current average time is approximately 79 months to complete.
Please confirm that you would like to move forward without reducing the scope of this request or if you would like to reduce the scope of this request.

Sincerely,

Negotiation Team
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Fbi.foipa.negotiation@fbi.gov<mailto:Fbi.foipa.negotiation@fbi.gov>

Status Checks: https://vault.fbi.gov/fdps-1/@@search-fdps<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__vault.fbi.gov_fdps-2D1_-40-40search-2Dfdps&d=DwMFAw&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=XBMMkObpUV4qgiRWe16ruf84MlE_zzfeACVcd84hmls&m=Aw62oYIKH07oNuehHecdHgLWMqlWFG0DYoQjNpzMHkhbi3BtoiHrci3yBRh212Wp&s=SdHEKbKopxbZbSeRluCcd86nmwJXks1SzF_CE3LxaTE&e=> | foipaquestions@fbi.gov<mailto:foipaquestions@fbi.gov>
For additional information, please visit the www.fbi.gov/foia<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.fbi.gov_foia&d=DwMFAw&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=XBMMkObpUV4qgiRWe16ruf84MlE_zzfeACVcd84hmls&m=Aw62oYIKH07oNuehHecdHgLWMqlWFG0DYoQjNpzMHkhbi3BtoiHrci3yBRh212Wp&s=-aTlmvcM5Bk6Q7nyu9yDBhN3v2HmU3sGIZ7u9r2JLFg&e=> website.

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From: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Good Morning Mr. Martin,

We're following up with the email sent out on January 18, 2024 to you with regards to your FOIPA request 1428779-000. The email dated January 18, 2024 goes into more detail for our contact with you.
Please confirm that you would like to move forward without reducing the scope of this request or if you would like to reduce the scope of this request.

Sincerely,

Negotiation Team
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Fbi.foipa.negotiation@fbi.gov<mailto:Fbi.foipa.negotiation@fbi.gov>

Status Checks: https://vault.fbi.gov/fdps-1/@@search-fdps<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__vault.fbi.gov_fdps-2D1_-40-40search-2Dfdps&d=DwMFAw&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=XBMMkObpUV4qgiRWe16ruf84MlE_zzfeACVcd84hmls&m=Aw62oYIKH07oNuehHecdHgLWMqlWFG0DYoQjNpzMHkhbi3BtoiHrci3yBRh212Wp&s=SdHEKbKopxbZbSeRluCcd86nmwJXks1SzF_CE3LxaTE&e=> | foipaquestions@fbi.gov<mailto:foipaquestions@fbi.gov>
For additional information, please visit the www.fbi.gov/foia<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.fbi.gov_foia&d=DwMFAw&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=XBMMkObpUV4qgiRWe16ruf84MlE_zzfeACVcd84hmls&m=Aw62oYIKH07oNuehHecdHgLWMqlWFG0DYoQjNpzMHkhbi3BtoiHrci3yBRh212Wp&s=-aTlmvcM5Bk6Q7nyu9yDBhN3v2HmU3sGIZ7u9r2JLFg&e=> website.

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From: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Good Morning Mr. Martin,

We're following up with the emails sent out on January 18, 2024 and January 22, 2024 to you with regards to your FOIPA request 1428779-000. The email dated January 18, 2024 goes into more detail for our contact with you.
Please confirm that you would like to move forward without reducing the scope of this request or if you would like to reduce the scope of this request.

Sincerely,

Negotiation Team
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Fbi.foipa.negotiation@fbi.gov<mailto:Fbi.foipa.negotiation@fbi.gov>

Status Checks: https://vault.fbi.gov/fdps-1/@@search-fdps<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__vault.fbi.gov_fdps-2D1_-40-40search-2Dfdps&d=DwMFAw&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=XBMMkObpUV4qgiRWe16ruf84MlE_zzfeACVcd84hmls&m=Aw62oYIKH07oNuehHecdHgLWMqlWFG0DYoQjNpzMHkhbi3BtoiHrci3yBRh212Wp&s=SdHEKbKopxbZbSeRluCcd86nmwJXks1SzF_CE3LxaTE&e=> | foipaquestions@fbi.gov<mailto:foipaquestions@fbi.gov>
For additional information, please visit the www.fbi.gov/foia<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.fbi.gov_foia&d=DwMFAw&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=XBMMkObpUV4qgiRWe16ruf84MlE_zzfeACVcd84hmls&m=Aw62oYIKH07oNuehHecdHgLWMqlWFG0DYoQjNpzMHkhbi3BtoiHrci3yBRh212Wp&s=-aTlmvcM5Bk6Q7nyu9yDBhN3v2HmU3sGIZ7u9r2JLFg&e=> website.

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