MuckRock emails (Department of Homeland Security)
| Tracking # |
2018-HQAP-00269 |
| Multi Request | MuckRock emails |
| Submitted | May 23, 2018 |
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Communications
From: Emma North-Best
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:
Copies of all emails containing the terms "MuckRock", "Muck Rock" or "MuckRock.com", excluding emails sent to or from a MuckRock.com email address. Please include the complete email exchange for each email, including any emails that are being replied to as well as any subsequent replies.
I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. I have previously written about the government and its activities. I have a reasonable expectation of publication and my editorial and writing skills are well established. I discuss and comment on the files online and make them available through non-profits such as the Internet Archive and MuckRock, disseminating them to a large audience. While my research is not limited to this, a great deal of it, including this, focuses on the activities and attitudes of the government itself. As such, it is not necessary for me to demonstrate the relevance of this particular subject in advance.
Additionally, case law states that “proof of the ability to disseminate the released information to a broad cross- section of the public is not required.” Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Dep’t of Justice, 365 F.3d 1108, 1126 (D.C. Cir. 2004); see Carney v. U.S. Dep’t of Justice, 19 F.3d 807, 814-15 (2d Cir. 1994). Further, courts have held that "qualified because it also had “firm” plans to “publish a number of . . . ‘document sets’” concerning United States foreign and national security policy." Under this criteria, as well, I qualify as a member of the news media.
Additionally, courts have held that the news media status "focuses on the nature of the requester, not its request. The provision requires that the request be “made by” a representative of the news media. Id. § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii)(II). A newspaper reporter, for example, is a representative of the news media regardless of how much interest there is in the story for which he or she is requesting information." As such, the details of the request itself are moot for the purposes of determining the appropriate fee category. As my primary purpose is to inform about government activities by reporting on it and making the raw data available, I request that fees be waived.
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,
Emma Best
From: Department of Homeland Security
Good Afternoon,
Attached is our acknowledgment of your DHS FOIA request. If you need to contact this office again concerning your request, please provide the DHS reference number. This will enable us to quickly retrieve the information you are seeking and reduce our response time. This office can be reached at 866-431-0486.
Regards,
DHS Privacy Office Disclosure & FOIA Program
STOP 0655
Department of Homeland Security
245 Murray Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20528-0655
Telephone: 1-866-431-0486 or 202-343-1743
Fax: 202-343-4011
Visit our
FOIA website (http://www.dhs.gov/foia)
From: Emma North-Best
The request is more than adequately described, as I have provided the exact terms required. A system wide email search is more than possible, and courts have recently held that just such a request is reasonably described. As DHS has previously confirmed the email system that it uses, there is zero doubt about the agencies' technical abilities to search their email system.
From: Department of Homeland Security
Good Afternoon,
Attached is our acknowledgment of your DHS FOIA appeal. If you need to contact this office again concerning your appeal, please provide the DHS reference number. This will enable us to quickly retrieve the information you are seeking and reduce our response time. This office can be reached at 866-431-0486.
Regards,
DHS Privacy Office Disclosure & FOIA Program
STOP 0655
Department of Homeland Security
245 Murray Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20528-0655
Telephone: 1-866-431-0486 or 202-343-1743
Fax: 202-343-4011
Visit our
FOIA website (http://www.dhs.gov/foia)
From: Emma North-Best
I am appealing the decision that the request is not reasonably described. Per previously released documents, FOIA 2017-HQFO-00444, DHS' email system allows for a simple search for the terms requested without specifying the sender, recipient, or date. Further, recent court rulings have held that just such a FOIA request is reasonable, and compelled agency compliance.
From: Department of Homeland Security
Ms. Best:
Please find attached the FOIA Appeal Decision issued by Judge Metry's office in the above captioned matter.
Thank you,
Lauren Meus
Hearing Docket Clerk
U. S. Coast Guard
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on May 23, 2018. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #2018-HQAP-00269.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Department of Homeland Security
Please find attached the FOIA Appeal Decision that was issued on December 14th regarding the above request.
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2018-HQAP-00269 (FOIA)
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on May 23, 2018. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #2018-HQAP-00269.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Department of Homeland Security
The request has been rejected by the agency.
From: Department of Homeland Security
Ms. Best:
Please find attached the Final FOIA Appeal Decision issued by Judge Metry's office in the above captioned matter.
Thank you,
Lauren Meus
Hearing Docket Clerk
U. S. Coast Guard
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