FBI LDW 8.19.24

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 Louis de Wohl, aka Ludwig von Wohl, aka Theodor Gaspar Adolf Wohl (January 24, 1903 - June 2, 1961). Mr. De Wohl was a German-born but Hungarian-raised astrologer who emigrated to Great Britain in 1935. A few years later, in 1941, Mr. De Wohl was sent to the United States by the Special Operations Executive, a British intelligence service, to convince Americans that the United States should join World War II, and while there, his tour was overseen by the British Security Coordination (BSC), a separate British intelligence service based out of New York City. The FBI and the BSC worked closely during this period, sharing intelligence on potential security threats, such as the 1939 "Joe K" spy ring out of Bermuda which was controlled by German spy Kurt Frederick Ludwig.

Mr. De Wohl's work on behalf of British intelligence was chronicled in a 2017 Daily Beast article titled "Louis de Wohl: The Astrologer Who Helped Foil Hitler": https://www.thedailybeast.com/louis-de-wohl-the-astrologer-who-helped-foil-hitler

The BSC's connection to Mr. De Wohl was documented in a separate 2006 Guardian article titled "The Secret Persuaders": https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/aug/19/military.secondworldwar

Proof of death is not required as Mr. De Wohl's date of birth was over 100 years ago.

I am asking you waive any fees associated with this request. I am a member of the news media. My bylines, which include Unicorn Riot, Covert Action Magazine, and the Geopolitical Economy Report, can be found in both print and electronic publications, and I am sending this request in coordination with Muckrock, an award-winning and nationally-recognized news organization. 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.

A fee waiver is appropriate in situations where "disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government, and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester,” 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(iii). This request would contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of government with respect to the FBI's collaborations with foreign intelligence services. Mr. De Wohl was a foreign intelligence officer operating inside the United States as part of a propaganda campaign organized by British intelligence services, one of which, the BSC, shared intelligence with the FBI in that same period. The FBI's involvement in, or knowledge of, any efforts to lobby the American public on the subject of entry into World War II prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor would contribute significantly to public understanding of America's role in that conflict.

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.