CCC 4.20.23
| Tracking # |
1590327-000 |
| Submitted | April 20, 2023 |
| Due | Oct. 31, 2023 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Robert Skvarla, Jr.
Dear FOIA Officer:
You are receiving this correspondence as a request under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. subsection 552. I am requesting the following:
Copies of all Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records, documents, and communications responsive to case file 94-HQ-50997, for the Campus Crusade for Christ, aka Cru. The group was founded by William R. Bright, aka Bill Bright (October 19, 1921 – July 19, 2003), as an evangelical ministry for college students in 1951. Some of the information in the case file is publicly available courtesy of writer Lerone A. Martin, who identifies communications between Campus Crusade leaders and former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover in his book "The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover: How the FBI Aided and Abetted the Rise of White Christian Nationalism", published in April 2023, but the file itself has not been made public. This would be of public interest for two reasons:
First, it would contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government. Hoover, per Martin, used the Campus Crusade as a vehicle to promote his personal and professional interests. The Campus Crusade distributed Bureau materials and Hoover's writing appeared in a 1962 issue of a Campus Crusade publication, The Collegiate Challenge, in an article titled “Freedom Begins with Christ”. The Campus Crusade's file would provide the public with a clearer understanding of J. Edgar Hoover's relationship with faith leaders during his tenure as FBI director.
Second, during its existence, the Campus Crusade has maintained associations with known domestic terrorist organizations such as the Covenant, the Sword, the Arm and the Lord (CSA), an anti-government militia group and member of the Christian identity movement which bought farmland from the Campus Crusade in the early 1980s (please see: 100-HQ-487200). Per the FBI case file on the CSA, the Bureau launched a multi-year investigation into the group, culminating in a 1985 raid on the property the CSA purchased from the Campus Crusade. The Campus Crusade's interactions with domestic terrorist organizations make it a subject of public interest.
I am asking you waive any fees associated with this request. I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. My bylines, which include Creem Magazine, Covert Action Magazine, and the Geopolitical Economy Report, can be found in both print and electronic publications. Please take note of the Office of Management and Budget guidelines published March 27, 1987 (52 FR 10012) that include electronic publications and other nontraditional publishers as representatives of the news media.
This request is not being made for commercial purposes. All documents will be provided to the general public without charge.
In the event that there are fees, I am willing to pay up to $100. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as the statute requires. If access to the records I am requesting will take longer, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records.
If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of the appeal procedures available to me under the law.
Sincerely,
Robert Skvarla, Jr.
From: Federal Bureau of Investigation
There are eFOIA files available for you to download.
From: Federal Bureau of Investigation
An acknowledgement letter, stating the request is being processed.
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 April 21, 2023. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #1590327-000.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Federal Bureau of Investigation
Thank you for contacting foipaquestions@fbi.gov. Please check the status of your FOIPA Request at http://vault.fbi.gov by clicking on “Check Status of Your FOI/PA Request” on the right side of the page, and follow the instructions below.
Check the Status of Your FOIPA Request
If your FOIPA Number is [1234567-0] please enter [1234567-000] into the system. If your FOIPA Number is [1234567-1] please enter [1234567-001] into the system. If you have any questions about the status of your FOIPA request, please e-mail foipaquestions@fbi.gov.
FIND STATUS OF FOIPA- Request statuses are updated weekly
Please enter the whole FOIPA number-Example: [1234567-000]
FOIPA:
Results will show the Request Number, Case Type and Process Description shown below:
FOIPA:
1234567-000
Case Type:
FOIPA
Process Description (Will display the current progress of the request)
The FBI’s FOIPA Program is searching the FBI’s indices for potentially responsive documents.
You may be contacted via formal letter for all fees and/or negotiation issues that may apply.
NOTE: Recent requests are entered into the FOIPA database in the order that they are received. Before you can check the status, you must have received correspondence assigning a FOIPA request number and the information transferred to the online database. Status information is updated weekly. If a request has been closed within the last six months the online database will display the following: The FOIPA number entered has been closed, and appropriate correspondence has been sent to the address on file.
Estimated Dates of Completion
Requests are processed in the order in which they are received through our multi-track processing system. Requests are divided into two primary tracks--simple (under 50 pages of potentially responsive documents) and complex (over 50 pages of potentially responsive documents). Complex requests are further divided into medium, large, and extra-large sub-tracks based upon request size. Simple track requests typically require the least amount of time to process. Currently, simple track cases average approximately 98 days from the date of receipt for processing. Our complex requests in the medium processing track are currently averaging 947 days, large processing track are currently averaging approximately 2,011 days, and extra-large processing track are currently averaging 2,360 days for processing.
Respectfully,
Public Information Officer
FBI - Information Management Division
200 Constitution Drive
Winchester, VA 22602
O: (540) 868-4593
E: foipaquestions@fbi.gov<mailto:foipaquestions@fbi.gov>
Do you have further questions about the FOI/PA process? Visit us at http://www.fbi.gov/foia
Please check the status of your request online at https://vault.fbi.gov/fdps-1/@@search-fdps Status updates are performed on a weekly basis.
Note: This is a non-emergency email address. If this is an emergency, please call 911 directly. If you need to report a tip for immediate action, please contact FBI Tips at http://tips.fbi.gov/ or reach out to your local field office.
-
~WRD0001
From: Muckrock Staff
Good Afternoon,
Thank you for your continued partnership on this request. Please know that the CD you had sent us was received broken. Can you please resend the responsive documents at your earliest convenience?
Thank You,
MuckRock Staff
From:
Thank you for contacting the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS). This is an auto reply message.
As the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) ombudsman, OGIS assists FOIA requesters and federal agencies by helping them resolve their FOIA disputes, and by addressing their questions and concerns about the FOIA process. Please note, we are experiencing an increase in our inquiries received and are working to respond as soon as possible. We apologize for any delays in our response and assure you that all emails are tracked. We look forward to assisting you.
If you seek OGIS’s assistance with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) dispute and have not done so already, please email us:
- A brief description of your dispute
- A copy of your FOIA request
- The agency’s response to your request
- Your appeal letter (if you filed an appeal)
- The agency's response to your appeal (if you received a response)
We encourage you to transmit documents as PDF attachments via email, rather than through postal mail, which may cause delays in our response.
Sincerely,
The OGIS Staff
From: Federal Bureau of Investigation
The FBI has received your additional correspondence regarding your Freedom of Information/Privacy Act (FOIPA) request and it has been forwarded to the assigned analyst for review and determination.
Respectfully,
Public Information Officer
FBI - Information Management Division
200 Constitution Drive
Winchester, VA 22602
O: (540) 868-4593
E: foipaquestions@fbi.gov<mailto:foipaquestions@fbi.gov>
Do you have further questions about the FOI/PA process? Visit us at http://www.fbi.gov/foia
Please check the status of your request online at https://vault.fbi.gov/fdps-1/@@search-fdps Status updates are performed on a weekly basis.
Note: This is a non-emergency email address. If this is an emergency, please call 911 directly. If you need to report a tip for immediate action, please contact FBI Tips at http://tips.fbi.gov/ or reach out to your local field office.
-
~WRD0000