MuckRock emails (Government Accountability Office)
It is a clone of this request.
Tracking # |
PRI-18-177 |
Multi Request | MuckRock emails |
Submitted | May 29, 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: Government Accountability Office
PRI-18-177
Ms. Emma Best
MuckRock News
DEPT MR 55013
411A Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA 02144-2516
Dear Ms. Best:
We have received your request and are processing it in accordance with our regulations concerning the availability of GAO records to the public, contained in 4 C.F.R. Part 81. If you have any questions regarding the status of your request, please call me and reference the "PRI" case number at the top of this e-mail.
Sincerely yours,
David Lu
Audit Policy & Quality Assurance
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Tel: (202) 512-5302
Email: lud@gao.gov<mailto:lud@gao.gov>
-
~WRD000
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 29, 2018. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #PRI-18-177.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Government Accountability Office
Good morning Ms. Best,
At this time, we are searching and reviewing emails that are potentially responsive to your request. After we complete our final reviews, we will provide the releasable records to you. We hope to have a response soon. Thank you for your patience concerning this matter.
Sincerely,
Patricia Stokes
Senior, Government Information Specialist
Government Accountability Office
Audit Policy & Quality Assurance
441 G Street, NW
Room 5044
Washington, DC 20548
Tel: (202) 512-9951
Email: stokesp@gao.gov
-
~WRD000
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 29, 2018. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #PRI-18-177.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Government Accountability Office
PRI-18-177
Ms. Best,
We are in our final review process and hope to have a response to you soon. Thank you!
Patricia Stokes
Senior, Government Information Specialist
Government Accountability Office
Audit Policy & Quality Assurance
441 G Street, NW
Room 5044
Washington, DC 20548
Tel: (202) 512-9951
Email: stokesp@gao.gov
From: Government Accountability Office
PRI-18-177
Hi Ms. Best,
This email is for clarification of your request below. Are you interested in emails generated in connection with MuckRock FOIA requests? Or emails independent of FOIA requests? Please advise. Thank you!
Patricia Stokes
Senior, Government Information Specialist
Government Accountability Office
Audit Policy & Quality Assurance
441 G Street, NW
Room 5044
Washington, DC 20548
Tel: (202) 512-9951
Email: stokesp@gao.gov
From: Emma North-Best
I'm interested in emails both related and unrelated to records requests. Thanks!
From: Government Accountability Office
Thank you.
Patricia Stokes
Senior, Government Information Specialist
Government Accountability Office
Audit Policy & Quality Assurance
441 G Street, NW
Room 5044
Washington, DC 20548
Tel: (202) 512-9951
Email: stokesp@gao.gov
From: Government Accountability Office
Ms. Best,
Please see the attached response.
Thanks,
David Lu
Audit Policy & Quality Assurance
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Tel: (202) 512-5302
Email: lud@gao.gov<mailto:lud@gao.gov>
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