Request to DEA for production assistance agreements between 2017 and 2023
| Tracking # |
24-00589-F |
| Submitted | March 7, 2024 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Brett Carollo
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:
Any production assistance agreements signed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with any film or television productions, inclusive of the years 2017-2023.
I am the Director of Research Operations at a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization called The Decoding Culture Foundation. These documents will be used for public education and research purposes. I therefore request a waiver of all fees that may otherwise apply. Attached is a document with organization letterhead confirming my position, as well as the organization's 501(c)(3) application and approval form.
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,
Brett Carollo
From: Drug Enforcement Administration
Dear Brett Carollo,
Case Number 24-00589-F has been assigned to the request you submitted. In all future correspondence regarding this request please reference case number 24-00589-F.
Regards,
DEA
From: Drug Enforcement Administration
Dear Brett Carollo,
The status of your FOIA request #24-00589-F has been updated to the following status 'Received'. To log into the DEA Public Access Link click on the Application URL below.
Sincerely,
DEA
From: Drug Enforcement Administration
Dear Brett Carollo: This e-mail responds to your Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act (FOIA/PA) request dated March 7, 2024, received by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FOIA/PA Unit, seeking access to DEA records. Your request has been opened and assigned the following case number: 24-00589-F. Please include this case number when communicating with this office. The records you seek require searches in another office or offices, and so your request falls within "unusual circumstances." See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(B)(i)-(iii). Because of these unusual circumstances, we are extending the time limit to respond to your request beyond the ten additional days provided by the statute. We have not yet completed a search to determine whether there are records within the scope of your request. The time needed to process your request will necessarily depend on the complexity of our records search and on the volume and complexity of any records located. For your information, this office assigns incoming requests to one of three tracks: simple, complex, or expedited. Each request is then handled on a first-in, first-out basis in relation to other requests in the same track. Simple requests usually receive a response in approximately one month, whereas complex requests take longer than a month to complete. At this time, your request has been assigned to the complex track. You may wish to narrow the scope of your request to limit the number of potentially responsive records or agree to an alternative time frame for processing, should records be located; or you may wish to await the completion of our records search to discuss either of these options. We regret the necessity of this delay, but please be assured that your request will be processed as soon as possible. If you have any questions or wish to discuss reformulation or an alternative time frame for the processing of your request, you may contact our FOIA Requester Service Center at (571) 776-2300, or e-mail your correspondence to DEA.FOIA@dea.gov. In addition, you may wish to visit our website at www.dea.gov to determine if the information you are requesting is already available to the public. You may contact our FOIA Public Liaison at (571) 776-2300 for any further assistance and to discuss any aspect of your request. Additionally, you may contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at the National Archives and Records Administration to inquire about the FOIA mediation services they offer. The contact information for OGIS is as follows: Office of Government Information Services, National Archives and Records Administration, Room 2510, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, Maryland 20740-6001; e-mail at ogis@nara.gov; telephone at (202) 741-5770; toll free at 1-877-684-6448; or facsimile at (202) 741-5769. Sincerely,
FOIA/PA Unit FOIA & Information Law Section Office of Chief Counsel Drug Enforcement Administration
PRIVACY ACT NOTICE: This e-mail (including any attachments herein) may contain personal and privileged information that requires protection in compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. § 552a). Any use of this information by anyone other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately delete all copies of this information and notify me by e-mail. The use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this communication by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful.
From: Drug Enforcement Administration
Dear Brett Carollo,
The status of your FOIA request #24-00589-F has been updated to the following status 'In Process'. To log into the DEA Public Access Link click on the Application URL below.
Sincerely,
DEA
From: Drug Enforcement Administration
Dear Brett Carollo: Please see the attached response to your Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act (FOIA/PA) request 24-00589-F. If you have any questions, please contact our FOIA Requester Service Center at (571) 776-2300. Sincerely,
FOIA/PA Unit
FOIA & Information Law Section
Office of Chief Counsel
Drug Enforcement Administration PRIVACY ACT NOTICE: This e-mail (including any attachments herein) may contain personal andprivileged information that requires protection in compliance with the PrivacyAct of 1974 (5 U.S.C. § 552a). Any useof this information by anyone other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you have received this communication inerror, please immediately delete all copies of this information and notify meby e-mail. The use, dissemination,distribution, or reproduction of this communication by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful.
From: Drug Enforcement Administration
Dear Brett Carollo,
The status of your FOIA request #24-00589-F has been updated to the following status 'Closed'. To log into the DEA Public Access Link click on the Application URL below.
Sincerely,
DEA
From: Brett Carollo
To Whom It May Concern,
This message pertains to FOIA request #24-00589-F. I wish to appeal the finding that the requested records are exempt from FOIA release. It does not seem reasonable that general information about official DEA collaborations with feature films or TV shows would meet the exemption requirements.
If the appeal is rejected, I request (in order to help inform future FOIA requests with DEA) to know if DEA considers any and all information pertaining to collaborations between DEA and the entertainment industry exempt from FOIA.
Thank you.
Brett Carollo
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