Festinger 12.7.22
| Tracking # |
1575130-000 |
| Submitted | Dec. 7, 2022 |
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Communications
From: Robert Skvarla, Jr.
To Whom It May Concern:
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 records responsive to Dr. Leon Festinger (May 8, 1919 - February 11, 1989). Dr. Festinger was a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1945-1947), the University of Michigan (1948-1951), the University of Minnesota (1951-1955), Stanford University (1955-1968), and The New School (1968-1989). While working for these institutions, he conducted research in the area of social psychology, famously developing the concept of cognitive dissonance in the books "When Prophecy Fails: A Social and Psychological Study of a Modern Group That Predicted the Destruction of the World", published in 1956, and "A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance", published the following year.
There is no expectation of a violation of Dr. Festinger's privacy, as he passed away in 1989. I have attached a reproduction of Dr. Festinger's obituary, published in The New York Times on February 12, 1989.
I am asking you waive any fees associated with this request. I am a member of the news media, with bylines including Covert Action Magazine, Janata Weekly, and Philly Voice. 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: Robert Skvarla, Jr.
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information/Privacy Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on December 7, 2022. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it FOIPA request number 1575130-000.
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.
-
~WRD0004
From: Robert Skvarla, Jr.
To Whom It May Concern:
I am following up on Freedom of Information/Privacy Act request number 1575130-000, originally submitted on December 7, 2022. A subsequent request sent on April 26, 2023, did not result in a response with an estimated date of completion, nor did it state if the request would be classified as simple or complex in the bureau's processing track. At this time, the status check function on the bureau's Vault website returns a message stating that the request awaits assignment to a Government Information Specialist. Please let me know when I can expect to receive additional information about this request.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
Sincerely,
Robert Skvarla, Jr.
From: Federal Bureau of Investigation
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the status of your Freedom of Information Act/Privacy (FOIPA) request. A review of your request has determined the following:
The request is presently awaiting assignment to a Disclosure analyst who will then review the records to determine if any redactions are required pursuant to subsections of Title 5, U. S. Code, Section 552 and 552a.
You may check the status of your request online at http://vault.fbi.gov by clicking on the ‘Check Status of Your FOI/PA Request’ link. Online status reports are updated weekly.
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 122 days from the date of receipt for processing. Our complex requests in the medium processing track are currently averaging 1,230 days, large processing track are currently averaging approximately 2,010 days, and extra-large processing track are currently averaging 2,370 days for processing.
Your request is currently in the complex request medium processing track, and the estimated date of completion for your request is April 2026. If your request is considered a complex track, considering reducing the scope of your request may accelerate the process as it could potentially place your request in a quicker processing track. This may also reduce any search and duplication costs, if applicable, and allow for a more timely receipt of your information. If you wish to discuss reducing the scope of your request, please indicate so and a representative will be in contact.
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
From: Federal Bureau of Investigation
There are eFOIA files available for you to download.
You can download the files at:
* [E38e0a62f9cd2ec9f2f477f085a7a02f560b3b1c2_Q170000_R434135_D164911830.pdf](https://efoia.fbi.gov/download-file/submission-38e0a62f9cd2ec9f2f477f085a7a02f560b3b1c2/WuTCmNdeaeA2hSY/E38e0a62f9cd2ec9f2f477f085a7a02f560b3b1c2_Q170000_R434135_D164911830.pdf)
* [E38e0a62f9cd2ec9f2f477f085a7a02f560b3b1c2_Q170000_R434135_D165154457.pdf](https://efoia.fbi.gov/download-file/submission-38e0a62f9cd2ec9f2f477f085a7a02f560b3b1c2/FOdzzTAMHsexLCY/E38e0a62f9cd2ec9f2f477f085a7a02f560b3b1c2_Q170000_R434135_D165154457.pdf)
**Please Note:**
The above link(s) are only active for 48hrs. After the link expires you will
have the option to reactivate the link(s) for an additional 48hrs. The max
renewal limit is two (2) times. Thereafter, the links can no longer be
accessed.
You can renew the download files by logging into the efoia system and clicking
the "Renew" button in the file list.
