BlueLeaks server seizure (Office of the Director of National Intelligence)
| Tracking # |
DF-2021-00063 |
| Multi Request | BlueLeaks server seizure |
| Submitted | Dec. 27, 2020 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Emma Best
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:
Records (including but not limited to emails, reports, briefs, documents, memos, or recordings) mentioning or describing the seizure of a server in Germany containing the Hunter Memorial Library and the BlueLeaks portal operated by Distributed Denial of Secrets.
See BlueLeaks-Server bei Zwickau beschlagnahmt by NetzPolitik (https://netzpolitik.org/2020/polizei-daten-aus-den-usa-blueleaks-server-bei-zwickau-beschlagnahmt/) and the statement from the German prosecutor's office:
Aufgrund eines US-amerikanischen Vorabsicherungsersuchen im Rahmen der internationalen Rechtshilfe in Strafsachen hat die Staatsanwaltschaft Zwickau am 3. Juli 2020 einen Server in einem Rechenzentrum in Falkenstein (Vogtland) sichergestellt, bei dem davon auszugehen ist, dass er von Personen, die im Internet unter dem Namen „Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDosecrets)“ auftreten, genutzt wurde.
Zum Inhalt des US-amerikanischen Verfahrens werden von hier aus keine Auskünfte erteilt. Bei der Sicherstellung handelt es sich um eine vorläufige Maßnahme im Rahmen der internationalen Rechtshilfe in Strafsachen. Nach Eingang des offiziellen US-amerikanischen Rechtshilfeersuchens wird eine Prüfung erfolgen, ob und in welchem Umfang eine gerichtliche Beschlagnahme von Daten mit dem Zweck der Herausgabe als Beweismittel an die US-Behörden in Betracht kommt.
Für die Bewilligung der Rechtshilfe, das heißt für die Entscheidung, ob tatsächlich Beweismittel an die USA herausgegeben werden, ist das Bundesamt für Justiz zuständig.
A translated version of the statement reads:
Due to a US request for preliminary security in the context of international mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, the Zwickau public prosecutor secured a server in a data center in Falkenstein (Vogtland) on July 3, 2020 The name "Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDosecrets)" was used.
No information is provided from here on the content of the US proceedings. The seizure is a provisional measure within the framework of international mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. After receipt of the official US request for legal assistance, a review will be carried out to determine whether and to what extent a judicial seizure of data for the purpose of surrendering it to the US authorities as evidence is possible.
The Federal Office of Justice is responsible for granting legal assistance, i.e. for deciding whether evidence will actually be released to the USA.
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,
Emma North-Best
From: Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Good Morning,
Please find attached your acknowledgment letter.
DNI-FOIA
-
~WRD000
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Good Afternoon,
Your request is currently in our queue to be worked. Please note there are approximately 630 cases ahead of yours, until the status of your request changes, we will not provide any further updates.
DNI-FOIA strives to work our cases on a first in/first out basis and level of complexity and/or volume.
Please know that your cases are important to us. We are working hard to reduce our backlog and get all of our requesters timely responses. Thank you.
Sincerely,
DNI-FOIA
-
~WRD000
From: Emma Best
As I'm sure your office is aware, you are required to give a time estimate, you cannot simply say "there are this many cases ahead of you."
From: Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Ms. Best,
With so many cases ahead of yours at the time of the request for an estimate (630) we found it hard to provide you with a realistic time frame for our final response. However, if you are willing to wait until we have completed all of our searches and compiled any responsive records, we can provide an estimate that is much more likely to be met. It is not until searches are completed, the number of responsive documents is known, and we have determined whether internal and/or external coordination will be necessary that we can truly have a better feel for how long processing will take.
Thank you for your continued patience,
-Sally
Sally A. Nicholson
Chief, Information Review &
Release Group
FOIA Public Liaison
ODNI/COO/IMO
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Good Afternoon,
Your request is currently in our queue to be worked. Please note there are approximately 394 cases ahead of yours, until the status of your request changes, we will not provide any further updates.
Sincerely,
DNI-FOIA
-
~WRD000
From: Emma Best
So you are refusing to provide an estimated date of completion, as required by statute?
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
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 Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Dec. 27, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #DF-2021-00063.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Good Morning Ms. North-Best,
Please see attached final response.
Sincerely,
DNI-FOIA
-
~WRD000
