Power #2 Emails

USAID has implemented maximum telework to promote social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Priorities in many of our operating units have shifted, thus impacting processing response times. Please note that USAID is unable to conduct a search for physical records while teleworking.  As a result, all search requests will be limited to electronic records, unless you notify us that you want your request to remain open until USAID employees have physical access to their workspaces. We appreciate your understanding during this time.  If you have any questions, please email us at foia@usaid.gov .  Thank you.

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V/r, FOIA Specialist US AID - US Agency for International Development FOIA Office Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services, Information and Records Division (M/MS/IRD) | foia@USAID.gov

May 14, 2021 RE:  USAID FOIA No. F-00177-21 (Acknowledgment Letter) Dear Mr. Boguslaw: Thank you for your letter dated May 14, 2021, requesting information pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552.  The tracking number for your request is F-00177-21.  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, Pamela A-Campbell
FOIA Specialist
Bureau for Management
Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division

May 14, 2021 RE:  USAID FOIA No. F-00177-21 (FOIA Specialist Assignment Email) Dear Mr. Boguslaw: This acknowledges receipt of your May 14, 2021, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  Specifically, you requested all correspondence (emails, letters, text messages, phone records) between USAID administrator Samantha Power and any of the following: Antony Blinken, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Vice President Kamala Harris, Advisor Mark Feierstein, and USAID National Security Director Colin Thomas Jensen including one or more of the non case sensitive key strings "Gaza", "Hamas", or "Jerusalem". (Date Range for Record Search: From 5/7/2021 To 5/14/2021). You also requested a fee waiver. Fee Waiver
The FOIA provides that fees should be waived or reduced if disclosure of the 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.  As a member of the media, the only applicable fee is duplication.  Duplication is $0.10 per page, but the first 100 pages are free.  After review of the fee waiver criteria, your fee waiver request is moot.  Since the only applicable fee is duplication, and USAID routinely furnishes responsive records to FOIA requesters in electronic format, it's most likely there will be no duplication fees to assess.
Appeal rightsYou have a right to appeal the denial of expedited processing.  Your appeal must be received by USAID no later than 90 days from the date of this communication.  In order for it to considered an official appeal, please address and send directly to the FOIA Appeal Officer:

Deputy Director, Office of Management Services
U.S. Agency for International Development
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
USAID Annex, M/MS, Room 10.8.OD
Washington, DC 20523

If you wish to fax your appeal, the fax number is (202) 916-4990.  Both the appeal and envelope should be marked "FOIA Appeal".  Please include the subject-referenced tracking number in your letter
FOIA Specialist
Your request has been assigned to Theresa Morris, Senior FOIA Specialist.  You may contact Theresa Morris by email at thmorris@usaid.gov or by phone on 202-921-5003.  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.

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, Pamela A-Campbell
FOIA Specialist
Bureau for Management
Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division

USAID has implemented maximum telework to promote social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Priorities in many of our operating units have shifted, thus impacting processing response times. Please note that USAID is unable to conduct a search for physical records while teleworking.  As a result, all search requests will be limited to electronic records, unless you notify us that you want your request to remain open until USAID employees have physical access to their workspaces. We appreciate your understanding during this time.  If you have any questions, please email us at foia@usaid.gov .  Thank you.

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V/r, FOIA Specialist US AID - US Agency for International Development FOIA Office Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services, Information and Records Division (M/MS/IRD) | foia@USAID.gov

Good Afternoon Mr. Daniel Boguslaw:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets the
delay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request,
F-00177-21.

In an effort to best manage the search for responsive records, we request
that you consider identifying the specific email addresses for the
following non USAID employees:

- Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State
- Merrick Garland, United States Attorney General
- Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States

*USAID can only conduct searches for emails for its own internal employees*.
We are not able to conduct searches for any outside email domains/addresses
without having the actual email address for the specific individuals.
Providing this information will allow the FOIA Office to task one or more
USAID Program Office(s) for responsive documents, if any, and to clearly
identify the records that are being sought that are within your scope of
interest.

If you have any questions, or need further assistance narrowing the overall
scope of FOIA No. F-00156-21, please feel free to contact me, via e-mail,
michsmith@usaid.gov. Please respond on or before July 6, 2021. If we do
not receive a response from you, we will assume that you are no longer
interested and FOIA No. F-00177-21 will be administratively closed, and no
further action will be taken on it.
Best regards,

Michelle L. Smith
*Senior FOIA Specialist/Technical Writer *
USAID - U.S. Agency for International Development
Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division (M/MS/IRD)
USAID Annex
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20523
michsmith@usaid.gov

Added Theresa for awareness.

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for your response but it is inadequate. The response you
provided does not correspond with what you initially requested in your FOIA
request to USAID. For request F-00177-21, which was submitted to and
received by USAID on 5/14/2021, you requested:

- all correspondence (emails, letters, text messages, phone records)
between USAID administrator Samantha Power and any of the following: Antony
Blinken, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Vice President Kamala Harris,
Advisor Mark Feierstein, and USAID National Security Director Colin Thomas
Jensen including one or more of the non case sensitive key strings
"Gaza", "Hamas", or "Jerusalem". (Date Range for Record Search: From
5/7/2021 To 5/14/2021).

In an effort to best manage the search for responsive records, we request
that you consider identifying the specific email addresses for the
following non USAID employees:

- Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State
- Merrick Garland, United States Attorney General
- Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States

*USAID can only conduct searches for emails for its own internal employees*.
We are not able to conduct searches for any outside email domains/addresses
without having the actual email address for the specific individuals.
Providing this information will allow the FOIA Office to task one or more
USAID Program Office(s) for responsive documents, if any, and to clearly
identify the records that are being sought that are within your scope of
interest.

If you have any questions, or need further assistance narrowing the overall
scope of FOIA No. F-00177-21, please feel free to contact me, via e-mail,
michsmith@usaid.gov. Please respond on or before July 8, 2021. If we do
not receive a response from you, we will assume that you are no longer
interested and FOIA No. F-00177-21 will be administratively closed, and no
further action will be taken on it.
Best regards,

Michelle L. Smith
*Senior FOIA Specialist/Technical Writer *
USAID - U.S. Agency for International Development
Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division (M/MS/IRD)
USAID Annex
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20523
michsmith@usaid.gov

Dear Mr. Boguslaw:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets thedelay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)request.  Please be advised that FOIA No. F-00177-21 is still beingprocessed. USAID regrets any delay incurred in complying with your requestand solicits your continued patience.  If you have any questionsconcerning your requests, please send me an email at michsmith@usaid.gov , between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Mondaythrough Friday. Best, Michelle Smith

Dear Mr. Boguslaw:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets the
delay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. We
will try to have a response out to you as soon as possible. We have
already contacted the program offices and they are searching for documents.

USAID regrets any delay incurred in complying with your request and
solicits your continued patience. If you have any questions concerning
your requests, please send me an email at michsmith@usaid.gov, between 8:00
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Best regards,

Michelle

Good Afternoon Mr. Boguslaw,

Please find attached a final response to your request, F-00177-21. Thank
you for your continued patience with USAID. Have a nice day.
Best regards,

--
Michelle L. Smith
*Senior FOIA Specialist/Technical Writer *
USAID - U.S. Agency for International Development
Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division (M/MS/IRD)
USAID Annex
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20523
michsmith@usaid.gov

Dear Mr. Daniel Boguslaw:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets the
delay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

Please be advised that FOIA No. F-00181-21 has been reassigned to me,
Michelle Smith, for processing. As of now, the search for documents, if
any, is pending.

USAID regrets any delay incurred in complying with your request and
solicits your continued patience. If you have any questions concerning
your requests, please send me an email at michsmith@usaid.gov, between 8:00
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Best regards,

--
Michelle L. Smith
*Senior FOIA Specialist/Technical Writer *
USAID - U.S. Agency for International Development
Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division (M/MS/IRD)
USAID Annex
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20523
michsmith@usaid.gov

Good Morning Mr. Boguslaw,

I sent you a separate email earlier today regarding a status update for
F-00181-21. Here is an excerpt of what the email says:

*"The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets
the delay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
request. Please be advised that FOIA No. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­F-00181-21 is
still being processed. We do not have an estimated date on when a response
will be sent to you. Nevertheless, we are working diligently on getting
one out to you soon. *

* USAID regrets any delay incurred in complying with your request and
solicits your continued patience. If you have any questions concerning
your requests, please send me an email at michsmith@usaid.gov
<michsmith@usaid.gov>, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday." *

Also, sir, this email dialogue, which references your latest inquiry for
F-00181-21, is combined with previous emails for F-00177-21. Please, if at
all possible, send separate emails for your requests as this can
potentially cause confusion for the FOIA Team here at USAID. FOIA requests
are entered into our system individually. Thus, inquiries from requesters
are tracked in the same manner. We appreciate your understanding in this
matter as we work diligently to conduct high quality reviews and process
everyone's FOIA request. If you have any questions or concerns, please do
not hesitate to contact me at michsmith@usaid.gov. Thank you and have a
nice day.
Best regards,

Michelle Smith

November 16, 2021

Re: USAID FOIA Appeal A-00003-22 of FOIA Request No. F-000177-21 (Acknowledgement Letter/FOIA Specialist Assignment)

Dear Mr. Boguslaw: This email acknowledges receipt of your  September 24, 2021 appeal of FOIA Case No. F-000177-21, received on November 12, 2021. The tracking number for your appeal is A-00003-22. Please use this number when corresponding with our office. We apologize for the delay in acknowledging your request for appeal,  please send all new FOIA requests to FOIA@usaid.gov. The Senior FOIA Specialist assigned to your FOIA appeal is Ms. Sylvia Lankford.

If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Lankford on 202-921-5005 or by email at . (mailto:slankford@usaid.gov) slankford@usaid.gov

Sincerely, Starr Lewis
FOIA Specialist
Bureau for Management
Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division

Good morning Mr. Boguslaw,

Attached please find USAID's final response to your FOIA appeal,
A-00003-22. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Peter A. Chickris

*Senior FOIA Specialist USAID – US Agency for International
DevelopmentBureau 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: (202) 600-1441 *
*pchickris@usaid.gov <pchickris@usaid.gov>*