From: fergp@sytex.com (Paul Ferguson)
Date: Mon, 24 May 93 17:48:03 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: FOIA INFO 2/2
Message-ID: <5gw34B2w165w@sytex.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


[ continued from previous message ]
 
I do not want just "interim" documents. I want all documents as they
appear in the "main" files and "see references" of all units of 
your agency.
      If documents are denied in whole or in part, please specify 
which exemption(s) is(are) claimed for each passage or whole 
document denied. Please provide a complete itemized inventory and 
a detailed factual justification of total or partial denial of 
documents. Give the number of pages in each document and the 
total number of pages pertaining to this request. For 
"classified" material denied please include the following 
information: the classification (confidential, secret or top 
secret); identity of the classifier; date or event for automatic 
de-classification, classification review, or down-grading; if 
applicable, identity of official authorizing extension of 
automatic de-classification or review; and if applicable, the 
reason for extended classification.
     I request that excised material be "blacked out" rather 
than "whited out" or cut out and that the remaining non-exempt 
portions of documents will be released as provided under the 
Freedom of Information Act.
     Please send a memo (copy to me) to the appropriate units in 
your office to assure that no records related to this request are 
destroyed. Please advise of any destruction of records and 
include the date of and authority for such destruction.
     As I expect to appeal any denials, please specify the office 
and address to which an appeal should be directed.
     I believe my request qualifies for a waiver of fees since 
the release of the requested information would primarily benefit 
the general public and be "in the public interest."
     I can be reached at the phone listed below. Please call 
rather than write if there are any questions or if you need 
additional information from me.
     I expect a response to this request within ten (10) working 
days, as provided for in the Freedom of Information Act.
 
Sincerely,
 
name: _______________________________________________
 
address: ____________________________________________
 
         ____________________________________________
 
telephone: __________________________________________
 
signature: __________________________________________
 
SAMPLE AGENCY REQUEST LETTER
 
DATE:
TO: FOIA/PA Unit
 
     This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
     I request a complete and thorough search of all filing 
systems and locations for all records maintained by your agency 
pertaining to and/or captioned 
______________________________________________________
[describe records desired and/or insert full and
______________________________________________________
formal name]
______________________________________________________
 
______________________________________________________
 
including, without limitation, files and documents captioned, or 
whose captions include:
 
______________________________________________________
[insert changes in name, commonly used names,
______________________________________________________
acronyms, sub-groups and the like]
______________________________________________________
 
______________________________________________________
 
     I also request all "see references" to these names, a search 
of the ELSUR Index or any similar technique for locating records 
of electronic surveillance.
     This request is also a request for any corresponding files 
in INS Headquarters or regional offices.
     Please place any "missing" files pertaining to this request 
on "special locate" and advise that you have done this.
     If documents are denied in part or whole, please specify 
which exemption(s) is(are) claimed for each passage or whole 
document denied. Please provide a complete itemized inventory and 
detailed factual justification of total or partial denial of 
documents. Specify the number of pates in each document and th 
total number of pages pertaining to this request. For classified 
material denied, please include the following information: the 
classification rating (confidential, secret, or top secret); 
identify the classifier; date or event for automatic 
de-classification, classification review or downgrading; if 
applicable, identify the official authorizing extension of 
automatic de-classification or review; and, if applicable, give the 
reason for extended classification.
     I request that excised material be "blacked out" rather than 
"whited out" or cut out. I expect, as provided by the Freedom of 
Information Act, that the remaining non-exempt portions of 
documents will be released.
     Please send a memo (copy to me) to the appropriate units in 
your office or agency to assure that no records related to this 
request are destroyed. Please advise of any destruction of 
records and include the date of and authority for such 
destruction.
     As I expect to appeal any denials, please specify the office 
and address to which an appeal should be directed.
     I believe my request qualifies for a waiver of fees since 
the release of the requested information would primarily benefit 
the general public and be "in the public interest."
     I can be reached at the phone listed below. Please call 
rather than write if there are any questions or if you need 
additional information from me.
     I expect a response to this request within ten (10) working 
days, as provided for in the Freedom of Information Act.
 
Sincerely,
 
name: _______________________________________________
 
address: ____________________________________________
 
         ____________________________________________
 
telephone: (___)_______________________________________
 
signature: __________________________________________
 
SAMPLE ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL LETTER
 
Date:
To:  FOIA/PA Appeals Office
RE:  Request number [Add this if the agency has given your request 
a number]
     This is an appeal pursuant to subsection (a)(6) of the 
Freedom of Information Act as amended (5U.S.C. 552).
     On [date], I received a letter from [name of official] of 
your agency denying my request for [describe briefly the 
information you are after]. This reply indicated that an appeal 
letter could be sent to you. I am enclosing a copy of my exchange 
of correspondence with your agency so that you can see exactly 
what files I have requested and the insubstantial grounds on 
which my request has been denied.
     [Optional paragraph, to be used if the agency has withheld 
all or nearly all the material which has been requested]:
     You will note that your agency has withheld the entire (or 
nearly the entire) document (or file, or report, or whatever) 
that I requested. Since the FOIA provides that "any reasonably 
secregable portion of a record shall be provided to any person 
requesting such record after deletion of the portions which are 
exempt," I believe that your agency has not complied with the 
FOIA. I believe that there must be (additional) secregable 
portions which do not fall within FOIA exemptions and which must 
be released.
     [Optional paragraph, to be used in the agency has used the 
(b)(1) exemption for national security, to withhold information]
     Your agency has used the (b)(1) exemption to withhold 
information [I question whether files relating to events that 
took place over twenty years ago could realistically harm the 
national security.] [Because I am familiar with my own activities 
during the period in question, and know that none of these 
activities in any way posed a significant threat to the national 
security, I question the designation of my files or portions of 
my file as classified and exempt from disclosure because of
national security considerations.]
     [Sample optional argument to be used if the exemption which 
is claimed does not seem to make sense; you should cite as many 
specific instances as you care to of items withheld from the 
documents that you have received. We provide two examples which 
you might want to adapt to your own case.]
     "On the memo dated _____________ the second paragraph 
withheld under the (b)(1) exemption appears to be describing a 
conversation at an open meeting. If this is the case, it is 
impossible that the substance of this conversation could be 
properly classified." Or, "The memo dated _____ refers to a 
meeting which I attended, but a substantial portion is deleted 
because of the (b)(6) and (b)(7)(c) exemptions for unwarranted 
invasions of personal privacy. Since I already know who attended 
this meeting, no privacy interest is served by the withholding."
     I trust that upon examination of my request, you will 
conclude that the records I requested are not properly covered by 
exemption(s) [here repeat the exemptions which the agency's 
denial letter claimed applied to your request] of the amended 
FOIA, and that you will overrule the decision to withhold the 
information.
     [Use if an itemized inventory is not supplied originally]
     If you choose instead to continue to withhold some or all of 
the material which was denied in my initial request to your 
agency, I ask that you give me an index of such material, 
together with the justification for the denial of each item which 
is still withheld.
     As provided in the Act, I will expect to receive a reply to 
this administrative appeal letter within twenty working days.
     If you deny this appeal and do not adequately explain why 
the material withheld is properly exempt, I intend to initial a 
lawsuit to compel its disclosure. [You can say that you intend to 
sue, if that is your present inclination; you may still decide 
ultimately not to file suit.]
 
Sincerely yours,
 
name:     ____________________________________________
 
address:  ____________________________________________
 
          ____________________________________________
 
signature: ___________________________________________
 
[Mark clearly on envelope: Attention: Freedom of Information 
Appeals]
 
FBI ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS
 
FBI Headquarters, J. Edgar Hoover Bldg, Washington, D.C., 20535, 
202-324-5520 (FOI/PA Unit)
 
Field Offices
Albany, NY 12207, U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, 518-465-7551
Albuquerque, NM 87101, Federal Office Bldg., 505-247-1555
Alexandria, VA 22314, 300 N. Lee St., 703-683-2681
Anchorage, AK 99510, Federal bldg., 907-272-6414
Atlanta, GA 30303, 275 Peachtree St. NE, 404-521-3900
Baltimore, MD 21207, 7142 Ambassador Rd., 301-265-8080
Birmingham, AL 35203, Room 1400, 2121 Bldg. 205-252-7705 
Boston, MA 02203, J.F. Kennedy Federal Office Bldg., 617-742-5533
Buffalo, NY 14202, 111 W. Huron St., 716-856-7800
Butte, MT 59701, U.S. Courthouse and Federal Bldg., 406-792-2304
Charlotte, NC 28202, Jefferson Standard Life Bldg., 704-372-5485
Chicago, IL 60604, Everett McKinley Dirksen Bldg., 312-431-1333
Cincinnati, OH 45202, 400 U.S. Post Office & Crthse Bldg., 513-421-4310
Cleveland, OH 44199, Federal Office Bldg., 216-522-1401
Columbia, SC 29201, 1529 Hampton St., 803-254-3011
Dallas TX 75201, 1810 Commerce St., 214-741-1851
Denver, CO 80202, Federal Office Bldg., 303-629-7171
Detroit, MI 48226, 477 Michigan Ave., 313-965-2323
El Paso, TX 79901, 202 U.S. Courthouse Bldg., 915-533-7451
Honolulu, HI 96850, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., 808-521-1411
Houston, TX 77002, 6015 Fed. Bldg and U.S.Courthouse, 713-224-1511
Indianapolis, IN 46202, 575 N. Pennsylvania St., 317-639-3301
Jackson, MS 39205, Unifirst Federal and Loan Bldg., 601-948-5000
Jacksonville, FL 32211, 7820 Arlington Expressway, 904-721-1211
Kansas City, MO 64106, 300 U.S. Courthouse Bldg., 816-221-6100
Knoxville, TN 37919, 1111 Northshore Dr., 615-588-8571
Las Vegas, NV 89101, Federal Office Bldg., 702-385-1281
Little Rock, AR 72201, 215 U.S Post Office Bldg., 501-372-7211
Los Angeles, CA 90024, 11000 Wilshire Blvd, 213-272-6161
Louisville, KY 40202, Federal Bldg., 502-583-3941
Memphis, TN 38103, Clifford Davis Federal bldg., 901-525-7373
Miami, FL 33137, 3801 Biscayne Blvd., 305-573-3333
Milwaukee, WI 53202, Federal Bldg and U.S. Courthouse, 414-276-4681
Minneapolis, MN 55401, 392 Federal Bldg., 612-339-7846
Mobile, AL 36602, Federal Bldg., 205-438-3675
Newark, NJ 07101, Gateway I, Market St., 201-622-5613
New Haven, CT 06510, 170 Orange St., 203-777-6311
New Orleans, LA 70113, 701 Loyola Ave., 504-522-4671
New York, NY 10007, 26 Federal Plaza, 212-553-2700
Norfolk, VA, 23502, 870 N. Military Hwy., 804-461-2121
Oklahoma City, OK 73118, 50 Penn Pl. NW, 405-842-7471
Omaha, NB 68102, 215 N. 17th St., 402-348-1210
Philadelphia, PA 19106, Federal Office Bldg., 215-629-0800
Phoenix, AZ 85004, 2721 N. central Ave., 602-279-5511
Pittsburgh, PA 15222, Federal Office Bldg., 412-471-2000
Portland, OR 97201, Crown Plaza Bldg., 503-224-4181
Richmond, VA 23220, 200 W. Grace St., 804-644-2531
Sacramento, CA 95825, Federal Bldg., 916-481-9110
St. Louis, MO 63103, 2704 Federal Bldg., 314-241-5357
Salt Lake City, UT 84138, Federal Bldg., 801-355-7521
San Diego, CA 92188, Federal Office Bldg., 619-231-1122
San Francisco, CA 94102, 450 Golden Gate Ave., 415-552-2155
San Juan, PR 00918 U.S. Courthouse and Fed. Bldg., 809-754-6000
Savannah, GA 31405, 5401 Paulson St., 912-354-9911
Seattle, WA 98174, 915 2nd Ave., 206-622-0460
Springfield, IL 62702, 535 W. Jefferson St., 217-522-9675
Tampa, FL 33602, Federal Office Bldg., 813-228-7661
Washington, DC 20535, 9th and Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 202-324-3000
 
FEDERAL AGENCIES (SELECTED ADDRESSES)
 
Central Intelligence Agency
Information and Privacy Coordinator
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D.C. 20505
202-351-5659
 
Civil Service Commission
Appropriate Bureau (Bureau of Personnel Investigation,
Bureau of Personnel Information Systems, etc.)
Civil Service Commission
1900 E Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20415
202-632-4431
 
Commission on Civil Rights
General Counsel, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
1121 Vermont Ave., N.W. Room 600
Washington, D.C. 20415
202-254-6610
 
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of the Secretary
Consumer Product Safety Commission
1111 18th St., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20207
202-624-7700
 
Department of Defense/Dept. of Air Force
Freedom of Information Manager
Headquarters, USAF/DADF
Washington, D.C. 20330-5025
202-697-3467
 
I'd suggest calling first to insure the correctness of the addresses.
 
Cheers.

Paul Ferguson               |  The future is now.
Network Integrator          |  History will tell the tale;
Centreville, Virginia USA   |  We must endure and struggle
fergp@sytex.com             |  to shape it.
 
          Stop the Wiretap (Clipper/Capstone) Chip.