RummagingintheGovernment’sAtticLessonsLearnedFromMoreThan1,000FOIARequests

MichaelRavnitzkyPhilLapsley

TheNextHOPE,2010

Imagine

Imagine a gigantic database.

A database of documents.

Every document the U.S. Government has ever created.

That database exists.

It even has a name.

It’s called …

“Every document the U.S. Government has ever created and hasn’t gotten around to throwing 

out yet.”

Youcanquerythisdatabasebyusinganobscuresearchenginecalled“FOIA”

FOIAistheFreedomofInformationAct

Electronic

Web

Queries are instant

Search engine is a computerand an algorithm

Tries to be helpful

Paper (mostly)

Postal service (mostly)

Queries take months, years

Search engine is a teamof humans

Tries to be helpful (mostly) …but sometimes comes acrossas petulant, even hostile

Everydocumentinthisdatabasehastwothingsincommon:

• Everydocumentinthedatabasewascreatedwithtaxpayermoney

• Everydocumentinthedatabaseshedslightonwhatyourgovernmentisupto

Butdocumentsinthedatabasestaythereunlessyouaskforthem

Nomechanismyetexiststosystematicallysharetheserecordswiththepublic.

RequestingdocumentsunderFOIAisasociallyuseful,necessary,andperfectlylegalformof“hacking.”

Example:recordsabouttheBPblowout

Whatwe’regoingtolearntoday

• What’saFOIArequest• Howtosubmitone• ToolsandtechniquesforFOIAhacking

We’lldothisbystudyingsomeexamplesfromthewebsiteGovernmentAttic.org,whoseproprietorshavefiledmorethan1,000FOIArequestsinthelastfewyears

AFOIArequestcanbeassimpleasafour‐sentenceletter,emailorfaxd00ds,

OMG, this is totally a request under theFreedom of Information Act.

I request that you provide me with acopy of records regarding <whatever>.

I am an individual requesting thisinformation for noncommercial purposes.

I am willing to pay up to $XX for thisrequest if necessary.

Muchas gracias, Compadres!

J. Random Warez

Muststateit’saFOIArequest

Mustdescriberecordsyouwant

Muststatewillingnesstopayfees

Mustgiveinfofor“feecategory”

(Includeyourreturnaddressandcontactinfo!)

TheFOIAprocess

Mail,fax,oremailrequest

Receiverequest

Logit

Sendackletter

(queue)

Searchfordocs

(queue)

(Declassify?)

Redact

Senddocs

Getackletter

(Get“norecords”letter)

Getgoodies

Norecords?

Weeks

Weeks/m

onths

Mon

ths/years

Reviserequestand/orappeal

You Da Gubmint

(Really?)

Fees:nutsandbolts• Agenciescanchargecertainreasonablesearchandduplicationfees

• Feesbasedonfour“feecategories”

• Mostrequestsendupbeingfreeorafewtensofdollars– …butbigfiles&searchescangetexpensive

• Limityourexposure–stateupfronthowmuchyou’rewillingtopay

• Iffeesarehigh,gettheFOIAofficertoexplainthemtoyouoverthephone

Fees:atollboothusedbysomeAgenciestodeterrequesters

• Feescanbeexpensiveforbigrequests

• SomeAgencieschargehighorerroneousfees

• Knowingthefourfeecategories,beingwillingtoreframerequests,discussingyourrequestwithFOIAstaffandtheirITpeoplecanhelp

• This“Tollbooththeory”explainsmanyoddFOIAsituations

Exemptions

• Agenciesareallowedtoblackout(“redact”)somestuffunderabunchofFOIAexemptions

• Exemptionsrangefromnationalsecuritytoprivacyconcernsto“goaway,that’sinternalstuff”

RedactionslooklikeSwisscheesesprinkledwithgibberish

Swisscheese

Gibberish(Exemptioncodeslikeb1,b2,b7c,…)

(Holeswhereyourdocumenttextshouldbe)

Exemptionsareoftenmisused

• Someexemptionsarequestionable.Theirusedoesn’treallyholdupunderknowledgeablescrutiny.Beskeptical.

• WhenitcomestoFOIA,blesstheirhearts,Agenciesinadvertentlymakeerrors.Alot.

Thethreeexemptionsmostmisused

• Exemptionb(1)–currentlyandproperlyclassifiednationalsecurityinformation

• Exemptionb(2)–internalmaterials

• Exemptionb(5)–legallyprivilegedmaterial;usuallythe“deliberativeprocessprivilege”

Beespeciallyskepticalofthese.

Whatcanyoudo?

• Sendanappealletter– Google“foiaappeal”formoreinfo

• Thedeniallettershouldtellyouwheretosendyourappeal

• AppealsareoftensuccessfulifyouexplainwheretheAgencywentwrong

Goodnews:presumptionofdisclosure

PresidentBushandAttorneyGeneralAshcroftorderedagenciesto:– useFOIAexemptionsaggressivelytowithholdmaterial

PresidentObamaandAttorneyGeneralHolderorderedagenciesto:–releaseasmuchaspossible

–presumereleasewhenindoubt

–releaseevenexemptmaterialifthereis“noforeseeableharm”

2000 - 2008 2009 -

FiveexamplesfromGovernmentAttic.Org

• Non‐commercialwebsitefoundedin2007

• HasfilednumerousFOIArequests

• Asapublicservice,postsdocumentsthataren’tavailableanywhereelse

• Shypeoplebutagreedtobeinterviewed

FBIConfidentialFileRoomDossier

• CollectionofmemosidentifyingFBIfilessosensitivethattheyhadtobestoredinaspecialfileroom

• 1950–1972

• ServesasaroadmaptohistoricallysignificantFBIfiles

• Showsthetensionbetweentheneedtoisolatecertainfilesbutstillbeabletousethem–thisproblemstillexistsintheelectronicage

• Documentsthatdescribeinterestingdocuments

– Permitsrequestsforparticularfilesofinterest–byfilenumber!

FBIConfidentialFileRoomDossierThe file on “Smuggling of AtomicBombs or Parts thereof and OtherWeapons of Mass Destructioninto the United States,” containshighly classified information …regarding United Statesdevelopments in the field ofatomic weapons and estimates ofSoviet developments in the fieldof atomic weapons, together withsuggested countermeasures.”

-- August 1, 1952

(And you thought the term “Weaponof Mass Destruction” was somethingPresident Bush came up with!)

TheFBI’sHighVisibilityMemos

• ProducedwhenevertheFBIhandledaFOIArequestaboutanotableperson

• Thememospointtoanumberofnotablefiles

• GovernmentAtticwebmeistersaskedforthemafterseeingmentionof“highvisfiles”inanotherdocument

• Anotherexampleofdocumentsthatdescribeinterestingdocuments

TheFBI’sHighVisibilityMemos

John Winston Ono Lennon,Deceased Former Member of theBeatles Musical Group:

“The bulk of the documents to bereleased are from a Security Matter –New Left investigatory file. Theinvestigation was initiated uponreceipt of information that Lennonmight engage in activities to disruptthe 1972 Republican NationalConvention …”

-- May 15, 1980

DoDResaleActivitiesBoardofReview

• EstablishedbyCongresstoreviewwhichsexuallyexplicitmagazinesandvideoscouldbesoldorrentedonmilitarybases

• Anexampleofwheregovernmentandfreespeechcollide

• TheBoard’smeetingminutesandagendasanddecisionswererequested

It’sadirtyjob,butsomebody’sgottodoit…

-- DoD Resale Activities Review Board, 1998, p. 80

Andtheverdictwas…

…andabout160others …andabout10others

Verboten! OK!

USAFEntertainmentLiaisonOfficeWeeklyReports

• Army/Navy/AirForce/Marines/CoastGuardallhaveHollywoodoffices(“ELOs”)

• “Theremustbesomesortofperiodicreportingtoshowwhattheseguysweredoing”

• Gotalargenumberofweeklyreports

• AwindowintotheinfluenceDoDhasinHollywood

• Showshowthemilitarybuildsitsbrandthoughtheuseofmoviesandtelevision

USAFEntertainmentLiaisonOfficeWeeklyReports

“Gumball 3000 – Edwards AFBPA referred a producer whoseproject involves music andentertainment stars going on a“Cannonball-like” race from LasVegas to Los Angeles. Theyasked if they could “race” onEdwards runways. According tothe producer the event would beon MTV and made into a feature.SAF/PAYE declined support asnot enough AF involvement towarrant it at this time, plus therace plans to end at a Playboymansion.”

-- October 11, 2005

FEMA’sRAMPDatabase

• TheFederalEmergencyManagementAgencykeepsasetoflessonslearned

• RAMP:RemedialActionManagementProgram

• Showswhatworkedandwhatfailed

• EverythingfromSpaceShuttleChallengeraccidenttofloods/disasters/hurricanes/tornados

• GAgotaprintoutofthedatabaseafteraskingforthelessonslearnedonaflood,seeingamentionofRAMP,andaskingfortheRAMPdatabase

FEMA’sRAMPDatabase

Oneofthousandsofsuggestionsforoperationalimprovement:

•“Insupportofrecenthurricanes,CR’sprimaryfunctionistohandoutflyerstovictims.IfIwereadisastervictimwithoutphone,electricityorsomemeanstogettoadisastercenteretc.andreceivedaflyerinformingmeofthisinformation,Iwouldbeinfuriated.”(Item1604‐I‐12,4/5/2006)

SomeexamplesofitemstheGAdudesrequested

• FOIACaseLogs–listsofFOIArequests

• ContentsofAgencyINTRAnetsites

• ListofInspectorGeneralclosedinvestigations

• Listofagencyvideotapes

• List/CopiesofTSAEmergencyAmendments

• Listofoldeststill‐classifieddocumentsatanagency

• Listofrestrictedopinions(GAO)

• ReportsofanAgencytoCongressnotpostedonline

Documentspointingto

otherdocuments

Agencyself‐identifiedinterestingdocuments

MorethingstheyFOIAed...

• ContentsofFOIATrackingFolders

• InternalAgencynewsletters

• CorrespondencewithMembersofCongress

• ArticlesfromNSATechnicalJournals

• NORAD9/11AirDefenserecordings

• AgencyMemorandaofUnderstanding(MOU/MOA)

• Listsofmovies/booksontheSpaceStation

• ComplaintstotheFCCaboutTVshowsPopularculture

“Peekbehindthescenes”

DatabasesarefairgameunderFOIA

• FOIAappliestoelectronicrecordsanddatabases

• Askingfordigitaldatareducescopying/searchcosts

• AlsomakesiteasiertoshareontheInternet

• DiscussingselectionofdatabasefieldswithagencyITfolkscanhelpovercomeagencyobjections

FOIA+database+web=coolwebsite

Problem:where’stheinterestingstuff?

• It’stoughforanindividualtoknowwheretheinterestingstuffis…– Orhowtoaskforit,evenifyouknowit’sthere

• Agencieshavenoincentivetotellarequesterwheretheinterestingstuffis– Orwhatmagicwordstousetoretrieveit

Solution:getthemtotellyou

• TheGAmuchachoshaveadoptedthegeneraltechniqueofsubmittingqueriesthatspurtheagencyitselftosignalwhereitsowninterestingstuffis

Examples:

• Identifyingrestrictedorunpublishedreports

• Lookingfor“missing”reportorfilenumbers

• Lookingatwhathistoricalrecordsarestillclassified

• Focusingonmaterialwithheldbytheagency

• Seeking“documentsthatidentifyotherdocuments”

Placesyoucangoformoreinformation

• nsarchive.org

• GetMyFBIfile.com

• GetGrandpasFBIfile.com

• OpenTheGovernment.org

• FOI‐Llistservarchives

• GovernmentAttic.org

Apartingchallenge

• Take30secondstothinkaboutsomethingyou’recuriousabout–arecentnewsstory,orwhatever

• Figureoutwhichgovernmentagencymighthavesomethingtodowithit

• Guesswhatlikelydocumentstheymighthave

• Requestthem!Today!

• Thankyounotesarealwaysagoodidea

• PostyourexperiencesontheHOPEForum!

Appendix

PrioritiesofaTypicalFOIAOffice

• Minimizeadministrativehassle• RebuffPITArequests• Minimizeagencyembarrassment/hassle• Notgiveupagency“property”(webuiltit–whyshouldtheygetitforfree?)

• Notreleasesensitivedocuments• Protectthepublictreasury• Whittleawaythebacklogofrequests

PrioritiesofaTypicalFOIARequester

• Obtaininteresting/usefulrecords(highrelevancy)

• Atminimumcostorfees(lowsystemprocessing)

• Andgetthemreasonablyquickly(lowlatency)