Russian Collusion (Department of Justice, National Security Division)
| Tracking # |
18-107, DOJ-AP-2018-005489 18-107 |
| Multi Request | Russian Collusion |
| Submitted | Feb. 20, 2018 |
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Communications
From: Carlos Gamez
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:
All documents that relate to Russian collusion in elections of 2014 and 2016. This will include all reports prepared for your agency. Also, it will include all emails sent to and from the director of your agency. The dates would be from 1/1/2013 to present date.
News Article:
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/russian-indictment-2016-elections-rod-rosenstein-announcement-today-2018-02-16/
Presidential acknowledgment of brief information:
https://mobile.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/964594780088033282
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,
Carlos Gamez
From: Department of Justice, National Security Division
Carlos Gamez
MuckRock News
DEPT MR 49309
411A Highland Ave
Somerville, MA 02144
Re: FOIA/PA #18-107
Dear Mr. Gamez:
This is to acknowledge your email dated February 20, 2018 pertaining to all documents that relate to Russian collusion in elections of 2014 and 2016. This will include all reports prepared for your agency. Also, it will include all emails sent to and from the director of your agency. The dates would be from 1/1/2013 to present date. Our FOIA office received your Freedom of Information Act request on February 20, 2018.
Our policy is to process FOIA requests on a first-in, first-out basis. Consistent with this policy, every effort will be made to respond to your request as quickly as possible. The actual processing time will depend upon the complexity of the request, whether it involves sensitive or voluminous records, and whether consultations with other agencies or agency components are appropriate.
Sincerely,
Arnetta Mallory
Government Information Spe
-
~WRD000
From: Carlos Gamez
What is the status of this request?
From: Department of Justice, National Security Division
From: NSDFOIA (NSD)
Sent: Friday, March 9, 2018 12:36 PM
To: requests@muckrock.com; NSDFOIA (NSD) <Ex_NSDFoia@jmd.usdoj.gov>
Subject: NSD FOIA# 18-107 Gamez
Carlos Gamez
MuckRock News
DEPT MR 49309
411A Highland Ave
Somerville, MA 02144
Re: FOIA/PA #18-107
Dear Mr. Gamez:
This is in reference to your email dated February 20, 2018 pertaining to all documents that relate to Russian collusion in elections of 2014 and 2016. This will include all reports prepared for your agency. Also, it will include all emails sent to and from the director of your agency. The dates would be from 1/1/2013 to present date. Our FOIA office received your Freedom of Information Act request on February 20, 2018.
For your information, Congress excluded three discrete categories of law enforcement and national security records from the requirements of the FOIA. See 5 U.S.C. § 552(c) (2006 & Supp. IV (2010). This response is limited to those records that are subject to the requirements of the FOIA. This is a standard notification that is given to all our requesters and should not be taken as an indication that excluded records do, or do not, exist.
The National Security Division (NSD) maintains operational files which document requests for and approvals of authority for the U.S. Intelligence Community to conduct certain foreign intelligence activities.
We do not search these records in response to requests regarding the use or non-use of such techniques in cases where the confirmation or denial of the existence of responsive records would, in and of itself, reveal information properly classified under Executive Order 13526. To confirm or deny the existence of such materials in each case would tend to reveal properly classified information regarding whether particular surveillance techniques have or have not been used by the U.S. Intelligence Community. Accordingly, we can neither confirm nor deny the existence of records in these files responsive to your request pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(1).
If you are not satisfied with my response to this request, you may administratively appeal by writing to the Director, Office of Information Policy (OIP), United States Department of Justice, Suite 11050, 1425 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20530-0001, or you may submit an appeal through OIP's FOIAonline portal by creating an account on the following web site: https://foiaonline.regulations.gov/foia/action/public/home. Your appeal must be postmarked or electronically transmitted within 90 days of the date of my response to your request. If you submit your appeal by mail, both the letter and the envelope should be clearly marked "Freedom of Information Act Appeal."
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, 8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS, 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,
Arnetta Mallory
Government Information Specialist
From: Department of Justice, National Security Division
Carlos Gamez
MuckRock News
DEPT MR 49309
411A Highland Ave
Somerville, MA 02144
Re: FOIA/PA #18-107
Dear Mr. Gamez:
This is in reference to your email dated February 20, 2018 pertaining to all documents that relate to Russian collusion in elections of 2014 and 2016. This will include all reports prepared for your agency. Also, it will include all emails sent to and from the director of your agency. The dates would be from 1/1/2013 to present date. Our FOIA office received your Freedom of Information Act request on February 20, 2018.
For your information, Congress excluded three discrete categories of law enforcement and national security records from the requirements of the FOIA. See 5 U.S.C. § 552(c) (2006 & Supp. IV (2010). This response is limited to those records that are subject to the requirements of the FOIA. This is a standard notification that is given to all our requesters and should not be taken as an indication that excluded records do, or do not, exist.
The National Security Division (NSD) maintains operational files which document requests for and approvals of authority for the U.S. Intelligence Community to conduct certain foreign intelligence activities.
We do not search these records in response to requests regarding the use or non-use of such techniques in cases where the confirmation or denial of the existence of responsive records would, in and of itself, reveal information properly classified under Executive Order 13526. To confirm or deny the existence of such materials in each case would tend to reveal properly classified information regarding whether particular surveillance techniques have or have not been used by the U.S. Intelligence Community. Accordingly, we can neither confirm nor deny the existence of records in these files responsive to your request pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(1).
If you are not satisfied with my response to this request, you may administratively appeal by writing to the Director, Office of Information Policy (OIP), United States Department of Justice, Suite 11050, 1425 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20530-0001, or you may submit an appeal through OIP's FOIAonline portal by creating an account on the following web site: https://foiaonline.regulations.gov/foia/action/public/home. Your appeal must be postmarked or electronically transmitted within 90 days of the date of my response to your request. If you submit your appeal by mail, both the letter and the envelope should be clearly marked "Freedom of Information Act Appeal."
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, 8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS, College Park, Maryland 20740-6001, e-mail at ogis@nara.gov<mailto:ogis@nara.gov>; telephone at 202-741-5770; toll free at 1-877-684-6448; or facsimile at 202-741-5769.
Sincerely,
Arnetta Mallory
Government Information Specialist
From: Carlos Gamez
I’m hereby appealing the rejection of FOIA request #18-107 which sought: “All documents that relate to Russian collusion in elections of 2014 and 2016. This will include all reports prepared for your agency. Also, it will include all emails sent to and from the director of your agency. The dates would be from 1/1/2013 to present date.” The rejection stated that “We do not search these records in response to requests regarding the use or non-use of such techniques in cases where the confirmation or denial of the existence of responsive records would, in and of itself, reveal information properly classified under Executive Order 13526. To confirm or deny the existence of such materials in each case would tend to reveal properly classified information regarding whether particular surveillance techniques have or have not been used by the U.S. Intelligence Community. Accordingly, we can neither confirm nor deny the existence of records in these files responsive to your request pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(1).” While it may be that some of the records responsive to this request might include information related to investigative techniques, this all encompassing rejection seems inappropriate. I’m challenging the thoroughness of the search, and asking that you release information responsive to this request, redacting sensitive information as appropriate, while releasing as much as possible. I’d also like to point out that this rejection can’t reasonably be applied to the portion of my request that seeks emails from the director of your agency, as they cannot reasonably be automatically categorized as national security or law enforcement records.
I also state that this glomar response is inapplicable to my request. This is since there have been multiple testimonies from James Comey and Robert Mueller. Also, you state "The National Security Division (NSD) maintains operational files which document requests for and approvals of authority for the U.S. Intelligence Community to conduct certain foreign intelligence activities." This shows that these activities must go through your agency. Being that such activities are acknowledged, the " procedures and structures" are also acknowledged.
From: Department of Justice, National Security Division
05/23/2018 03:27 PM FOIA Request: DOJ-AP-2018-005489
From: Department of Justice, National Security Division
DOJ-AP-2018-005489 has been processed with the following final disposition: Affirmed on Appeal
From: Department of Justice, National Security Division
This message is to notify you of a new appeal submission to the FOIAonline application. Appeal information is as follows:
* Appeal Tracking Number: DOJ-AP-2018-008347
* Request Tracking Number: 18-107
* Requester Name: Carlos Gamez
* Date Submitted: 09/06/2018
* Appeal Status: Submitted
* Description: DRC Appeal No. DOJ-AP-2018-005489
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