Chief FOIA officer's recent email (United States Agency for International Development)
| Tracking # |
F-00039-25 |
| Multi Request | Chief FOIA officer's recent email |
| Submitted | Oct. 20, 2024 |
| Due | Nov. 18, 2024 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Sai
Dear United States Agency for International Development,
On behalf of myself and Fiat Fiendum, I hereby request the following records:
1. The one email in your chief FOIA officer's email inbox or equivalent which was received nearest and before October 19, 2024, midnight Eastern time, regardless of subject matter.
2. The one email in your chief FOIA officer's email spam folder or equivalent which was received nearest and before October 19, 2024, midnight Eastern time, regardless of subject matter.
3. The one email in your chief FOIA officer's sent email folder or equivalent which was sent nearest and before October 19, 2024, midnight Eastern time, regardless of subject matter.
4. The total full-time equivalent count of people who work for your FOIA office as of October 19, 2024.
This request is expressly limited to United States Agency for International Development's own FOIA office. Please do not refer it to any other agency or division. This request is expressly not a Privacy Act request, and no PA waiver will be provided.
Please provide the email records in EML, Maildir, MBOX, MIX, MSG, or PST format only — not PDF, Word, image, etc — including all metadata (e.g. full email headers as received/sent) and attachments, without alteration other than narrowly tailored electronic redaction of specifically claimed exemptions that do not affect any part of non exempt information (and, in particular, without rasterization).
Please provide the fourth record as a statement in your response letter, or at your option, as the most readily available record, in original electronic format as currently stored on your computer systems, which includes that information.
Please provide all records either as individual files, or as an unencrypted ZIP file, uploaded to MuckRock. Do not apply any encryption, DRM, or other restriction.
I request fee waiver, because
* Fiat Fiendum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit;
* this request is for public interest, non-commercial purposes;
* these records would give a snapshot of insight into the everyday processes of FOIA offices; and
* these records are being requested in order to conduct a government-wide audit of agencies' FOIA compliance.
In the event that you deny fee waiver, please process this request as-is, because I will not agree to any fees.
Please be sure to provide:
* 5 USC 552(a)(6)(A)(i)(II) FOIA Public Liaison information
* 5 USC 552(a)(6)(A)(i)(III)(aa) appeal information
* 5 USC 552(a)(6)(A)(i)(III)(bb) OGIS information
* 5 USC 552(a)(7)(A) tracking number
* 5 USC 552(a)(7)(B)(ii) completion ETA
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,
Sai
President, Fiat Fiendum, Inc.
P.S. Sai is my full legal name.
From: United States Agency for International Development
October 22, 2024 RE: USAID FOIA No. F-00039-25 (Acknowledgment Letter) Dear Mr. Sai: Thank you for your letter dated October 22, 2024, requesting information pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552. The tracking number for your request is F-00039-25. Please use this number when corresponding with our office. At this time, we are in the process of perfecting your request. A perfected request for records reasonably describes such records and is made in accordance with published rules stating the time, place, fees (if any) and procedures to be followed. This process includes reviewing the request for clarity and fee category determination and related commitment to pay, if applicable. Once your request is perfected, you will be notified of the FOIA Specialist assigned to process your case. If you have questions, please contact us at . Please cite the above-referenced number when corresponding with our office. (mailto:foia@usaid.gov) foia@usaid.gov Thank you. Sincerely, Sophia Williams
FOIA Specialist
Bureau for Management
Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division
From: United States Agency for International Development
October 22, 2024 Re: USAID FOIA Request No. F-00039-25 (FOIA Specialist Assignment Email) Dear Mr. Sai: This acknowledges receipt of your October 22, 2024 , Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Specifically, you requested 1. The one email in your chief FOIA officer's email inbox or equivalent which was received nearest and before October 19, 2024, midnight Eastern time, regardless of subject matter.2. The one email in your chief FOIA officer's email spam folder or equivalent which was received nearest and before October 19, 2024, midnight Eastern time, regardless of subject matter.3. The one email in your chief FOIA officer's sent email folder or equivalent which was sent nearest and before October 19, 2024, midnight Eastern time, regardless of subject matter.4. The total full-time equivalent count of people who work for your FOIA office as of October 19, 2024. (Date Range for Record Search: From 10/18/2024 To 10/19/2024). FOIA Specialist our request has been assigned to Jaime Carey, FOIA Specialist. You may contact Jaime Carey by email at jacarey@usaid.gov . Please reference the tracking number cited above in any future correspondence. Extending the FOIA’s Time Limits due to Unusual Circumstances The FOIA provides that an agency may extend its time limits when “unusual circumstances” occur in the processing of a request. See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(B)(i) (2016). Those “unusual circumstances” are set forth in the statute, 5 U.S.C § 552(a)(6)(B)(iii), and are described as: 1) The need to search for records from field facilities or other locations separate from the office processing the request; 2) The need to search, collect and examine voluminous records; and 3) The need for consultation with another agency. Based upon the records you have requested, we have determined that one or more unusual circumstances will occur during the processing of your request. Accordingly, your response time-limit has been extended beyond the 20 days required by statute; therefore, 10 additional processing days have been added to your request. To mitigate this action, you may limit the scope of the request so that it can be processed more quickly or to arrange an alternative time to respond. If you have any questions or wish to discuss reformulation or an alternative time frame for the processing of your request, you may contact the assigned FOIA Specialist noted above. You may also contact USAID’s FOIA Public Liaison, Christopher Colbow, at foia@usaid.gov (mailto:foia@usaid.gov) .
Additionally, you may contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at the National Archives and Records Administration to inquire about the FOIA mediation services offered: Office of Government Information Services National Archives and Records Administration 8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS, College Park, Maryland 20740-6001 E-mail: ogis@nara.gov Telephone: 202-741-5770; Toll Free: 1-877-684-6448 Fax: 202-741-5769 Thank you for your interest in USAID. Sincerely,
Sophia Williams
FOIA Specialist
Bureau for Management
Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division
From: Sai
Dear USAID,
Thank you for your email.
My title is not "Mr.". Please use no title for me at all if you are able to do so, or "Mx" if your system forces you to enter a title.
You claimed:
> Those “unusual circumstances” are set forth in the statute, 5 U.S.C § 552(a)(6)(B)(iii), and are described as: 1) The need to search for records from field facilities or other locations separate from the office processing the request; 2) The need to search, collect and examine voluminous records; and 3) The need for consultation with another agency. Based upon the records you have requested, we have determined that one or more unusual circumstances will occur during the processing of your request.
I contest your claim. I requested 3 emails and a FTE number, held by your own chief FOIA officer. There is no separate office to search, there is nothing voluminous, and there is no need to consult another agency. I therefore believe you have no grounds for claiming unusual circumstances. If you claim otherwise, please be more specific as to what justifies your claim.
Sincerely,
Sai
From: United States Agency for International Development
Dear Sai:
Thank you for your email.
Based on your request, we will need to coordinate with the M Bureau, Office
of Chief Information Officer (M/CIO) so that an electronic email search can
be conducted based on the parameter of your request. Please note that M/CIO
is separate from the USAID FOIA Office, in addition if there are equities
that belong to another agency, we will need to consult with that agency.
Please feel free to contact the assigned FOIA Specialist for any updates as
it pertains to your request.
Concerning your name we will respect your wish to be addressed by your name
without any formal title. Should we make this mistake again please correct
us and accept our apologies.
Sincerely,
Sophia Williams
--
Sophia Williams
FOIA Specialist
USAID – US Agency for International Development
Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services, Information and
Records Division (M/MS/IRD)
USAID Annex, Room 2.4C * 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW * Washington, DC
20523
Mobile: (771) 202-3466 Direct: sowilliams@usaid.gov
From: Sai
Dear USAID,
Thank you for your clarification of the "unusual circumstances" claim, and your update.
Sincerely,
Sai
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 Oct. 22, 2024. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #F-00039-25.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: United States Agency for International Development
Good morning Jaime,
Please read the email below and provide Sai with an update.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Sophia Williams
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <requests@muckrock.com>
Date: Mon, Nov 25, 2024 at 1:00 AM
Subject: RE: Freedom of Information Act Request #F-00039-25
To: <sowilliams@usaid.gov>
United States Agency for International Development
FOIA Office
Room 2.07C, RRB
United States Agency for International Development
Washington, DC 20523-2701
November 25, 2024
This is a follow up to request number F-00039-25:
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request,
copied below, and originally submitted on Oct. 22, 2024. Please let me know
when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference
number #F-00039-25.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
View request history, upload responsive documents, and report problems here:
https://www.muckrock.com/
If prompted for a passcode, please enter:
••••••••
Filed via MuckRock.com
E-mail (Preferred): requests@muckrock.com
PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW ADDRESS
For mailed responses, please address (see note):
MuckRock News
DEPT MR 174869
263 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02115
PLEASE NOTE: This request is not filed by a MuckRock staff member, but is
being sent through MuckRock by the above in order to better track, share,
and manage public records requests. Also note that improperly addressed
(i.e., with the requester's name rather than "MuckRock News" and the
department number) requests might be returned as undeliverable.
---
On Oct. 24, 2024:
Subject: RE: Freedom of Information Act Request #F-00039-25
Dear USAID,
Thank you for your clarification of the "unusual circumstances" claim, and
your update.
Sincerely,
Sai
---
On Oct. 23, 2024:
Subject: Re: Freedom of Information Act Request #F-00039-25
Dear Sai:
Thank you for your email.
Based on your request, we will need to coordinate with the M Bureau, Office
of Chief Information Officer (M/CIO) so that an electronic email search can
be conducted based on the parameter of your request. Please note that M/CIO
is separate from the USAID FOIA Office, in addition if there are equities
that belong to another agency, we will need to consult with that agency.
Please feel free to contact the assigned FOIA Specialist for any updates as
it pertains to your request.
Concerning your name we will respect your wish to be addressed by your name
without any formal title. Should we make this mistake again please correct
us and accept our apologies.
Sincerely,
Sophia Williams
--
Sophia Williams
FOIA Specialist
USAID – US Agency for International Development
Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services, Information and
Records Division (M/MS/IRD)
USAID Annex, Room 2.4C * 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW * Washington, DC
20523
Mobile: (771) 202-3466 Direct: sowilliams@usaid.gov
---
On Oct. 23, 2024:
Subject: RE: Freedom of Information Act Request #F-00039-25
Dear USAID,
Thank you for your email.
My title is not "Mr.". Please use no title for me at all if you are able to
do so, or "Mx" if your system forces you to enter a title.
You claimed:
> Those “unusual circumstances” are set forth in the statute, 5 U.S.C §
552(a)(6)(B)(iii), and are described as: 1) The need to search for records
from field facilities or other locations separate from the office
processing the request; 2) The need to search, collect and examine
voluminous records; and 3) The need for consultation with another agency.
Based upon the records you have requested, we have determined that one or
more unusual circumstances will occur during the processing of your request.
I contest your claim. I requested 3 emails and a FTE number, held by your
own chief FOIA officer. There is no separate office to search, there is
nothing voluminous, and there is no need to consult another agency. I
therefore believe you have no grounds for claiming unusual circumstances.
If you claim otherwise, please be more specific as to what justifies your
claim.
Sincerely,
Sai
---
On Oct. 22, 2024:
Subject: USAID FOIA REQUEST No. F-00039-25 (FOIA Specialist Assignment
Email)
October 22, 2024 Re: USAID FOIA Request No. F-00039-25 (FOIA Specialist
Assignment Email) Dear Mr. Sai: This acknowledges receipt of your October
22, 2024 , Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID). Specifically, you requested
1. The one email in your chief FOIA officer's email inbox or equivalent
which was received nearest and before October 19, 2024, midnight Eastern
time, regardless of subject matter.2. The one email in your chief FOIA
officer's email spam folder or equivalent which was received nearest and
before October 19, 2024, midnight Eastern time, regardless of subject
matter.3. The one email in your chief FOIA officer's sent email folder or
equivalent which was sent nearest and before October 19, 2024, midnight
Eastern time, regardless of subject matter.4. The total full-time
equivalent count of people who work for your FOIA office as of October 19,
2024. (Date Range for Record Search: From 10/18/2024 To 10/19/2024). FOIA
Specialist our request has been assigned to Jaime Carey, FOIA Specialist.
You may contact Jaime Carey by email at jacarey@usaid.gov . Please
reference the tracking number cited above in any future correspondence.
Extending the FOIA’s Time Limits due to Unusual Circumstances The FOIA
provides that an agency may extend its time limits when “unusual
circumstances” occur in the processing of a request. See 5 U.S.C. §
552(a)(6)(B)(i) (2016). Those “unusual circumstances” are set forth in the
statute, 5 U.S.C § 552(a)(6)(B)(iii), and are described as: 1) The need to
search for records from field facilities or other locations separate from
the office processing the request; 2) The need to search, collect and
examine voluminous records; and 3) The need for consultation with another
agency. Based upon the records you have requested, we have determined that
one or more unusual circumstances will occur during the processing of your
request. Accordingly, your response time-limit has been extended beyond the
20 days required by statute; therefore, 10 additional processing days have
been added to your request. To mitigate this action, you may limit the
scope of the request so that it can be processed more quickly or to arrange
an alternative time to respond. If you have any questions or wish to
discuss reformulation or an alternative time frame for the processing of
your request, you may contact the assigned FOIA Specialist noted above. You
may also contact USAID’s FOIA Public Liaison, Christopher Colbow, at
foia@usaid.gov (mailto:foia@usaid.gov) .
Additionally, you may contact the Office of Government Information Services
(OGIS) at the National Archives and Records Administration to inquire about
the FOIA mediation services offered: Office of Government Information
Services National Archives and Records Administration 8601 Adelphi
Road-OGIS, College Park, Maryland 20740-6001 E-mail: ogis@nara.gov
Telephone: 202-741-5770; Toll Free: 1-877-684-6448 Fax: 202-741-5769 Thank
you for your interest in USAID. Sincerely,
Sophia Williams
FOIA Specialist
Bureau for Management
Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division
---
On Oct. 22, 2024:
Subject: USAID FOIA No. F-00039-25 (Acknowledgment Letter)
October 22, 2024 RE: USAID FOIA No. F-00039-25 (Acknowledgment Letter)
Dear Mr. Sai: Thank you for your letter dated October 22, 2024, requesting
information pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. §
552. The tracking number for your request is F-00039-25. Please use this
number when corresponding with our office. At this time, we are in the
process of perfecting your request. A perfected request for records
reasonably describes such records and is made in accordance with published
rules stating the time, place, fees (if any) and procedures to be
followed. This process includes reviewing the request for clarity and fee
category determination and related commitment to pay, if applicable. Once
your request is perfected, you will be notified of the FOIA Specialist
assigned to process your case. If you have questions, please contact us at
. Please cite the above-referenced number when corresponding with our
office. (mailto:foia@usaid.gov) foia@usaid.gov Thank you. Sincerely, Sophia
Williams
FOIA Specialist
Bureau for Management
Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division
---
On Oct. 20, 2024:
Subject: Freedom of Information Act Request: Chief FOIA officer's recent
email (United States Agency for International Development)
Dear United States Agency for International Development,
On behalf of myself and Fiat Fiendum, I hereby request the following
records:
1. The one email in your chief FOIA officer's email inbox or equivalent
which was received nearest and before October 19, 2024, midnight Eastern
time, regardless of subject matter.
2. The one email in your chief FOIA officer's email spam folder or
equivalent which was received nearest and before October 19, 2024, midnight
Eastern time, regardless of subject matter.
3. The one email in your chief FOIA officer's sent email folder or
equivalent which was sent nearest and before October 19, 2024, midnight
Eastern time, regardless of subject matter.
4. The total full-time equivalent count of people who work for your FOIA
office as of October 19, 2024.
This request is expressly limited to United States Agency for International
Development's own FOIA office. Please do not refer it to any other agency
or division. This request is expressly not a Privacy Act request, and no PA
waiver will be provided.
Please provide the email records in EML, Maildir, MBOX, MIX, MSG, or PST
format only — not PDF, Word, image, etc — including all metadata (e.g. full
email headers as received/sent) and attachments, without alteration other
than narrowly tailored electronic redaction of specifically claimed
exemptions that do not affect any part of non exempt information (and, in
particular, without rasterization).
Please provide the fourth record as a statement in your response letter, or
at your option, as the most readily available record, in original
electronic format as currently stored on your computer systems, which
includes that information.
Please provide all records either as individual files, or as an unencrypted
ZIP file, uploaded to MuckRock. Do not apply any encryption, DRM, or other
restriction.
I request fee waiver, because
* Fiat Fiendum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit;
* this request is for public interest, non-commercial purposes;
* these records would give a snapshot of insight into the everyday
processes of FOIA offices; and
* these records are being requested in order to conduct a government-wide
audit of agencies' FOIA compliance.
In the event that you deny fee waiver, please process this request as-is,
because I will not agree to any fees.
Please be sure to provide:
* 5 USC 552(a)(6)(A)(i)(II) FOIA Public Liaison information
* 5 USC 552(a)(6)(A)(i)(III)(aa) appeal information
* 5 USC 552(a)(6)(A)(i)(III)(bb) OGIS information
* 5 USC 552(a)(7)(A) tracking number
* 5 USC 552(a)(7)(B)(ii) completion ETA
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,
Sai
President, Fiat Fiendum, Inc.
P.S. Sai is my full legal name.
View request history, upload responsive documents, and report problems here:
https://www.muckrock.com/
If prompted for a passcode, please enter:
••••••••
Filed via MuckRock.com
E-mail (Preferred): requests@muckrock.com
PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW ADDRESS
For mailed responses, please address (see note):
MuckRock News
DEPT MR 174869
263 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02115
PLEASE NOTE: This request is not filed by a MuckRock staff member, but is
being sent through MuckRock by the above in order to better track, share,
and manage public records requests. Also note that improperly addressed
(i.e., with the requester's name rather than "MuckRock News" and the
department number) requests might be returned as undeliverable.
--
Sophia Williams
FOIA Specialist
USAID – US Agency for International Development
Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services, Information and
Records Division (M/MS/IRD)
USAID Annex, Room 2.4C * 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW * Washington, DC
20523
Mobile: (771) 202-3466 Direct: sowilliams@usaid.gov
From: United States Agency for International Development
Good Morning,
I have received your request for an update on FOIA request F-00039-25. At
this time we are still gathering responsive documents to process this
request. Thank you for your inquiry and have a great day.
--
Jaime Carey| FOIA Analyst
*USAID – US Agency for International DevelopmentBureau for Management,
Office of Management Services, Information and Records Division*
*USAID Annex, Room 02.4.2D * **1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW ** * **Washington,
DC 20523 *
*(O) 202-921-5264 | (email) **jacarey@usaid.gov <jacarey@usaid.gov>*
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 Oct. 22, 2024. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #F-00039-25.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: United States Agency for International Development
Good Morning,
In response to the status update for F-00039-25, we are still gathering the
responsive records needed to process your request. Thank you for your
inquiry and have a great day.
--
Jaime Carey| FOIA Analyst
*USAID – US Agency for International DevelopmentBureau for Management,
Office of Management Services, Information and Records Division*
*USAID Annex, Room 02.4.2D * **1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW ** * **Washington,
DC 20523 *
*(O) 202-921-5264 | (email) **jacarey@usaid.gov <jacarey@usaid.gov>*
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 Oct. 22, 2024. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #F-00039-25.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: United States Agency for International Development
Good Morning,
I have received your request for an update on FOIA request F-00039-25. Our
apologies for the delay in providing a response to the request. However,
we are still gathering responsive documents to process this request. Thank
you for your inquiry and have a great day.
--
Jaime Carey| FOIA Analyst
*USAID – US Agency for International DevelopmentBureau for Management,
Office of Management Services, Information and Records Division*
*USAID Annex, Room 02.4.2D * **1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW ** * **Washington,
DC 20523 *
*(O) 202-921-5264 | (email) **jacarey@usaid.gov <jacarey@usaid.gov>*
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 Oct. 22, 2024. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #F-00039-25.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.