Residential Furniture Contracts - DOS

To Whom It May Concern:

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:

A copy of all master contracts for the purchase of residential furniture for overseas posts for the period 2010 to the present.

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 fees cannot be waived, 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,

Alex Richardson

Hello,

Please describe in which way this request is too broad. I understand that virtually all of the residential furniture purchased by the state department for overseas postings is produced by U.S. manufacturers, many of which are located in South Carolina. This is suggestive of large quantity orders. I am seeking a copy of the agreements that the state department has with furniture manufacturers.

Thank you,
Alex Richardson

Dear Charlotte Duckett,

In the June 2, 2015 email that you referred to, I asked that you specify in which way the request was too broad. For example, was the date range too wide? Were there too many contracts because each embassy creates its own? If you help me to understand the way in which this request is too burdensome, I may be able to narrow the scope of the request in a way that will make it easier for you to complete. I await your reply.

Thank you,
Alex Richardson