Secret Service protectees

Dear Sir or Madam:

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records: Any documents conveying the approval of Secret Service protection (under 18 U.S. Code § 3056(a)(6)) for "distinguished foreign visitors to the United States and official representatives of the United States performing special missions abroad when the President directs that such protection be provided" by Secretary of Homeland Security Mattis between January 20, 2017 and today.

As a representative of the news media I am only required to pay for the direct cost of duplication after the first 100 pages. Through this request, I am gathering information on the Trump administration's treatment of foreign visitors That is of current interest to the public as the president's handling of international relations (especially with regard to Germany and Russia) are currently under huge media scrutiny.

This information is being sought on behalf of ThinkProgress.org (an online news service) for dissemination to the general public and this request is not being made for commercial purposes. I am a reporter with ThinkProgress, an online news site with a national audience seeking these documents entirely for news-gathering purposes.

I would like to receive the information in the following format: electronic.

Please waive any applicable fees. Release of the information is in the public interest because the public has a right to know how much is being spent on protection and for whom. 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.

If my request is denied in whole or part, I ask that you justify all deletions by reference to specific exemptions of the act. I will also expect you to release all segregable portions of otherwise exempt material. I, of course, reserve the right to appeal your decision to withhold any information or to deny a waiver of fees.

As I am making this request as a journalist and this information is of timely value, I would appreciate your communicating with me by email or telephone, rather than by mail, if you have questions regarding this request.

Please provide expedited processing of this request which concerns a matter of urgency. As a journalist, I am primarily engaged in disseminating information. The public has an urgent need for information because the administration is proposing massive budget cuts, yet its spending on Secret Service protection could be a major cause of increased spending.

I certify that my statements concerning the need for expedited processing are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

I look forward to your reply within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Josh Israel
202-478-5317
jisrael@thinkprogress.org

Hi,

Thanks so much for your help with this request! I really appreciate it.

Sincerely,
Josh Israel