re: POTUS CREST
| Tracking # |
NARA-NGC-2017-000292 |
| Submitted | Feb. 14, 2017 |
| Due | March 16, 2017 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Michael Best
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:
All records about the CREST terminals installed in the Presidential Libraries. Note that I am asking for information _about_ the terminals, rather than information from them.
I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. I have previously written about the government and its activities for AND Magazine, MuckRock and Glomar Disclosure and have an open arrangement with each. My articles have been widely read, with some reaching over 100,000 readers. As such, as I have a reasonable expectation of publication and my editorial and writing skills are well established. In addition, I discuss and comment on the files online and make them available through the non-profit Internet Archive, 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 such, my primary purpose is to inform about government activities by reporting on it and making the raw data available and I therefore 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,
Michael Best
From: foia@nara.gov
This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://foiaonline.regulations.gov:443/foia/action/public/view/request?objectId=090004d28117d85f)
* Tracking Number: NARA-NGC-2017-000292
* Requester Name: Michael Best
* Date Submitted: 02/17/2017
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description: This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records: All records about the CREST terminals installed in the Presidential Libraries. Note that I am asking for information _about_ the terminals, rather than information from them
From: Wanda Williams
Dear Mr. Best,
We received your FOIA request on Friday, February 17, 2017, and it was
assigned internal tracking number NGC17-188 and FOIAonline tracking
number NARA-NGC-2017-000292
The CREST terminals have been in place for nearly two decades, we would
like to discuss narrowing the scope of your research interests, so that we
can better identify all potentially responsive records.
Please give me a call as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Wanda Williams
Deputy Freedom of Information Act Officer/Archivist
National Archives and Records Administration
Office of General Counsel
College Park, Maryland
301-837-0773
From: Michael Best
I'm specifically interested in materials related to their installation, how they were populated with records, records related to their maintenance, any agreements made with either CIA or the Presidential Libraries, and any discussions relating to their eventual termination.
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Feb. 14, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #NARA-NGC-2017-000292.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Feb. 14, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #NARA-NGC-2017-000292.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Wanda Williams
*RE: NGC17-188 CREST Terminals NARA-NGC-2017-000292*
Dear Mr. Best,
NARA staff are still in the process of collecting documents responsive to
your FOIA request.
Thank you,
Wanda Williams
Deputy Freedom of Information Act Officer/Archivist
National Archives and Records Administration
Office of General Counsel
College Park, Maryland
301-837-0773
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Feb. 14, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #NARA-NGC-2017-000292.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Feb. 14, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #NARA-NGC-2017-000292.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Wanda Williams
*RE: NGC17-188 NARA-NGC-2017-000292 CREST *
Dear Mr. Best,
Thank you for contacting our office. Your request, NGC17-188, is currently
#24 in our complex queue. However, as responsive documents are sent out
for consultation, we may be able to get to your case as soon as possible.
We have identified several hundred pages potentially responsive to your
request, these pages still have to be reviewed and processed. I will
contact you in a week with a status update.
Thank you,
Wanda Williams
Deputy Freedom of Information Act Officer/Archivist
National Archives and Records Administration
Office of General Counsel
College Park, Maryland
301-837-0773 <(301)%20837-0773>
From: National Archives and Records Administration
MuckRock
DEPT MR 33300
411A Highland Ave
Somerville, MA 021442516
Dear Requester (Michael Best),
We are about to process FOIA request NGC17-188, received by our office on
February 14, 2017. Your request was submitted via the *FOIAonline* website
portal, where it was assigned case number NARA-NGC-2017-000292. We
contacted you on February 23, 2017, asking that you narrow the scope of
your request. In a letter dated, March 6, 2017, you responded and stated:
*I'm specifically interested in materials related to their installation,
how they were populated with records, records related to their maintenance,
any agreements made with either CIA or the Presidential Libraries, and any
discussions relating to their eventual termination.*
As we move forward with your request, we wanted to contact you to make sure
we still have your correct email address and contact information. We also
want to make sure that no circumstances have changed and that you would
like us to move forward with processing your request.
Thank you for contacting the National Archives and Records Administration.
Sincerely,
*Wanda Williams *
Wanda Williams
Deputy Freedom of Information Act Officer/Archivist
Office of General Counsel (NGC)
National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, Maryland, 20740-6001
wanda.williams@nara.gov
From: Emma North-Best
Yes you still have the correct information.
Yes I am still interested in the request.
No, no circumstances have changed.
Yes, I would like you to continue moving forward with the request that I filed five years ago.
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