Trump investigation requests (Office of the Director of National Intelligence)
It is a clone of this request.
| Tracking # |
DF-2017-00229 |
| Submitted | March 28, 2017 |
| Est. Completion | None |
MuckRock users can file, duplicate, track, and share public records requests like this one. Learn more.
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:
Copies of written requests (whether issued internally, by other Agencies or Congress) for investigations or reports relating to Donald J. Trump , his campaign or his Presidential Transition Team from January 20, 2017 through the date of the processing of the search. Please interpret this FOIA to include requests for comments on other reports or investigations. Note that I am not asking for responses to these requests, or details about the existence or non-existence of any such investigations.
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: 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 March 28, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: DNI-FOIA
Good morning,
An acknowledgement letter was sent to you on 4/21/2017. Thank you for your patience.
DNI-FOIA
From: Office of the Director of National Intelligence
An interim response, stating the request is being processed.
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 March 28, 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 #DF-2017-00229.
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 March 28, 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 #DF-2017-00229.
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 March 28, 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 #DF-2017-00229.
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 March 28, 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 #DF-2017-00229.
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 March 28, 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 #DF-2017-00229.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on March 28, 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 #DF-2017-00229.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Good afternoon Mr. Best,
Your No record Located letter was mailed to you on 8/28/17. Please see attached copy.
Sincerely,
DNI-FOIA
-
~WRD000
From: Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Good afternoon Mr. Best,
Your No record Located letter was mailed to you on 8/28/17. Please see attached copy.
Sincerely,
DNI-FOIA
-
~WRD000
From: Emma North-Best
I am appealing the integrity of the search, as the investigations and reports are a matter of public record, as are some of the letters (see attached). It is inconceivable that the DNI's "thorough search" failed to turn up what a simple Google search produced, which is precisely what the DNI's Chief FOIA Officer is alleging. Given the circumstances, one must wonder if the DNI's FOIA office is simply incompetent, or if it is trying to curry favor with the President, who has a strong interest in the FOIA request being denied and has previously asked the DNI to deny that (see attached).
From: Office of the Director of National Intelligence
A letter stating that the request appeal has been received and is being processed.
From: Office of the Director of National Intelligence
A no responsive documents response.
Files
pages