Say It Ain't So Already

I Filed a FOIA Request

December 7, 2009 at 7:57 PM 2 comments

Roughly two months ago I filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the FBI.  (FOIA’s are now officially called a “Freedom of Information-Privacy Act” request or “FOIPA.”)

After filing the initial request, I received a letter from the FBI — addressed to me using my correct name and address — asking for my correct name and address, which, of course, I provided in my initial request.  It also asked how much I would be willing to pay for a copy of my file.

I wrote back and gave them all the variations on my name I could think of.  I told them I had been at my current address since 1977 and that I was willing to pay $50.00 for copies.  I also gave my place of birth and the subject of my request (i.e., anything and everything they have on me).

Today I received a second letter acknowledging the receipt of my second letter and assigning a “FOIPA Request No.”  The letter also asked me to “provide the complete name, alias, date and place of birth for the subject of your request…and other specific data you could provide such as prior addresses…”   I already did that.

The letter said that to “make sure information about you is not released to someone else, we require your notarized signature or, in place of a notarized signature…  For your convenience, the reverse side of this letter contains a form which may be used for this purpose.”  Nope.  The reverse side of “this letter” is blank.

Then it said that if I was requesting a search of the “FBI’s Criminal Justice Information System” (I’m not), I should “follow the enclosed instructions…”  No instructions were enclosed.

It ended by saying that “processing delays have been caused by the large number of requests received by the FBI.  We will process your request(s) as soon as possible.”

Humm.  If you ask me, some of the “processing delays” may be caused by the FBI’s incompetence.  Responding to a FOIA request should be a badda-boom, badda-bing routine kind of thing.

And these guys are charged with “protecting” us?

This might be a long haul.

I’ll keep you posted.

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