Inauguration security checks

Tom Nash filed this request on behalf of Anonymous with the Office of the Governor of Virginia.
Status
Rejected

From: Anonymous

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

Records showing the information participants in Governor Youngkin's Inaugural parade were required to provide for the purpose of security background checks and any related instructions or processes used to conduct security and/or background checks on any participating persons, groups or organizations. If there were particulat instuctions for schools that participated, such as the Virginia Military Institute, please provide them and what was submitted.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Tom Nash, a citizen of Virginia, in coordination with Anonymous.

From: Office of the Governor

We acknowledge your FOIA request of January 9, 2025.

Pursuant to Section 2.2-3704.A. of the Code of Virginia, the custodian of requested records may require the requester to provide his name and legal address. This is because Virginia FOIA requests are only open to citizens of the Commonwealth and certain news organizations with a presence in the Commonwealth.

Therefore, please provide us with your legal name and address.
Thanks,

Denise Burch
FOIA Officer
Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin
1111 E. Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
804-786-2211

From: Anonymous

TO AVOID UNNECESSARY DELAYS IN PROCESSING, I REQUEST NOW THAT ANY ESTIMATED COST TO FILL MY REQUEST BE PROVIDED.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO ASK ME IF I WANT YOU TO PREPARE A COST ESTIMATE IF THERE IS ONE.

Due to the passage of time in processing this request resulting in the Inaugural already occurring, this FOIA is updated to be current as follows:

1. Records relating to VMI participation in the Inaugural of President Donald Trump:
a. The invitation received by VMI or application submitted by VMI for the Corps of Cadets to participate in the inaugural of President-elect Donald Trump
b. VMI’s response to any invitation, communications between the VMI leadership and others on participation from the initial request through VMI’s withdrawal from the parade and to date.
c. Notifications to the Corps of participation in the Inaugural parade.
d. Any class, group, or other category of cadets exempt or excused from participating or for whom participation in the inaugural is options with the reason and the approval authority.
e. Communications with the Inaugural Planners outside VMI showing the reasons VMI did not participate.

2. Records relating to the participation of individual cadets in the Inaugural parade:
a. The information required on each cadet by the United States Secret Service (USSS). I am not requesting the actual Personal Identifiable Information (PII) on cadets themselves, just the information fields being requested (name, social security number, photo, etc.). If a form or other notification that was sent to cadets listing the information they needed to provide, that will suffice.
b. Copy of the Instructions received by VMI to submit cadets for USSS Screening
c. Copy of the instructions sent to cadets for USSS screening
d. Copy of the results from the USSS screen (Adrian or other report) showing those approved and not approved with the reason. I understand PII identifying the specific person will be redacted.
e. Copy of the report(s) that show each error and how it was corrected.
f. Process VMI used to quality control the information submitted to the USSS for the background check.
g. For Cadets who did not pass the USSS background check, have they been provided the reason for the denial? Please provide this communication.
h. All communications with cadets to obtain the information in #2a
i. All notifications to cadets and any follow-ups regarding their participation in the inaugural activities. Again, I am not asking for all the emails, just a sample of the ones sent to all cadets without specific names will suffice.
j. Notification(s) to cadets if they were or were not approved to participate in the Inaugural with the reason. Again, I am not asking for all the emails a sample of the ones sent to all cadets without specific names will suffice.
k. Records showing similar to #1c, #d, 2a for the past 4 Presidential Inaugurals, the most recent Governor of Virginia Inaugural., visits by Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary Hillary Clinton.
l. If participation in the Inaugural parade was optional, records showing who made that decision and any approval by the Board of Visitors or other authority. A minimum this should include who made the decision and any BOV involvement/approvals. These would not constitute "working papers".
m. If participation in the Inaugural was optional for any cadets provide the records showing if participation was optional or mandatory in the past 5 Presidential Inaugural Parades that VMI participated in.
n. The final list of cadets that were planned for the Inaugural Parade: 1) Total cadets in the Corps; 2) total approved to attend the Inaugural; 3) total who were not going to attend the inaugural and the reason (NCAA athlete, guard or military duty, declined to participate, etc.); 4) number of cadets who did not respond to the information requested for the USSS check; and 5) number of cadets who requested to attend the inaugural but were denied and the reason.

From: Anonymous

Please disregard the updated information request that covered Virginia military Institute entered in error.

You are overdue in filling my original request that still stands:

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

Records showing the information participants in Governor Youngkin's Inaugural parade were required to provide for the purpose of security background checks and any related instructions or processes used to conduct security and/or background checks on any participating persons, groups or organizations. If there were particulat instuctions for schools that participated, such as the Virginia Military Institute, please provide them and what was submitted.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Tom Nash, a citizen of Virginia, in coordination with Anonymous.

From: Office of the Governor

Please see attached our response emailed to you on January 15, 2025.

Denise Burch
FOIA Officer
Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin
1111 E. Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
804-786-2211

From: Anonymous

When can I expect these records?

From: Office of the Governor

We are in receipt of your email of February 17th.

Please be advised that we have requested proof of Virginia citizenship on multiple occasions and have not yet been provided this information.

However, with regard to your request for records regarding Governor Youngkin’s Inaugural Parade, please be advised that the Governor’s Office is not the custodian of the types of records you are seeking. Should these requested records exist, the custodian may be the Library of Virginia or the Virginia State Police.

With regard to your request for records regarding VMI’s participation in President Trump’s Inaugural Parade, please be advised that the Governor’s office is not the custodian of the types of records you are seeking. Should the requested records exist, the custodian of said records may be the Virginia Military Institute.

Denise Burch
FOIA Officer
Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin
1111 E. Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
804-786-2211

From: Muckrock Staff

Hello,

Thank you for your continued support on this request. Please see the attached proof of residency.

[ID Redacted]

From: Office of the Governor

We are in receipt of your email of March 7th.

With regard to your request for records regarding Governor Youngkin’s Inaugural Parade, please be advised that the Governor’s Office is not the custodian of the types of records you are seeking. Should these requested records exist, the custodian may be the Library of Virginia or the Virginia State Police.

With regard to your request for records regarding VMI’s participation in President Trump’s Inaugural Parade, please be advised that the Governor’s office is not the custodian of the types of records you are seeking. Should the requested records exist, the custodian of said records may be the Virginia Military Institute.

Denise Burch
FOIA Officer
Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin
1111 E. Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
804-786-2211