rummaging in the government’s attic: lessons learned from more than 1,000 foia requests
TRANSCRIPT
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RummagingintheGovernment’sAtticLessonsLearnedFromMoreThan1,000FOIARequests
MichaelRavnitzkyPhilLapsley
TheNextHOPE,2010
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Imagine
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Imagine a gigantic database.
A database of documents.
Every document the U.S. Government has ever created.
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That database exists.
It even has a name.
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It’s called …
“Every document the U.S. Government has ever created and hasn’t gotten around to throwing
out yet.”
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Youcanquerythisdatabasebyusinganobscuresearchenginecalled“FOIA”
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FOIAistheFreedomofInformationAct
Electronic
Web
Queries are instant
Search engine is a computerand an algorithm
Tries to be helpful
Paper (mostly)
Postal service (mostly)
Queries take months, years
Search engine is a teamof humans
Tries to be helpful (mostly) …but sometimes comes acrossas petulant, even hostile
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Everydocumentinthisdatabasehastwothingsincommon:
• Everydocumentinthedatabasewascreatedwithtaxpayermoney
• Everydocumentinthedatabaseshedslightonwhatyourgovernmentisupto
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Butdocumentsinthedatabasestaythereunlessyouaskforthem
Nomechanismyetexiststosystematicallysharetheserecordswiththepublic.
RequestingdocumentsunderFOIAisasociallyuseful,necessary,andperfectlylegalformof“hacking.”
Example:recordsabouttheBPblowout
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Whatwe’regoingtolearntoday
• What’saFOIArequest• Howtosubmitone• ToolsandtechniquesforFOIAhacking
We’lldothisbystudyingsomeexamplesfromthewebsiteGovernmentAttic.org,whoseproprietorshavefiledmorethan1,000FOIArequestsinthelastfewyears
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AFOIArequestcanbeassimpleasafour‐sentenceletter,emailorfaxd00ds,
OMG, this is totally a request under theFreedom of Information Act.
I request that you provide me with acopy of records regarding <whatever>.
I am an individual requesting thisinformation for noncommercial purposes.
I am willing to pay up to $XX for thisrequest if necessary.
Muchas gracias, Compadres!
J. Random Warez
Muststateit’saFOIArequest
Mustdescriberecordsyouwant
Muststatewillingnesstopayfees
Mustgiveinfofor“feecategory”
(Includeyourreturnaddressandcontactinfo!)
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TheFOIAprocess
Mail,fax,oremailrequest
Receiverequest
Logit
Sendackletter
(queue)
Searchfordocs
(queue)
(Declassify?)
Redact
Senddocs
Getackletter
(Get“norecords”letter)
Getgoodies
Norecords?
Weeks
Weeks/m
onths
Mon
ths/years
Reviserequestand/orappeal
You Da Gubmint
(Really?)
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Fees:nutsandbolts• Agenciescanchargecertainreasonablesearchandduplicationfees
• Feesbasedonfour“feecategories”
• Mostrequestsendupbeingfreeorafewtensofdollars– …butbigfiles&searchescangetexpensive
• Limityourexposure–stateupfronthowmuchyou’rewillingtopay
• Iffeesarehigh,gettheFOIAofficertoexplainthemtoyouoverthephone
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Fees:atollboothusedbysomeAgenciestodeterrequesters
• Feescanbeexpensiveforbigrequests
• SomeAgencieschargehighorerroneousfees
• Knowingthefourfeecategories,beingwillingtoreframerequests,discussingyourrequestwithFOIAstaffandtheirITpeoplecanhelp
• This“Tollbooththeory”explainsmanyoddFOIAsituations
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Exemptions
• Agenciesareallowedtoblackout(“redact”)somestuffunderabunchofFOIAexemptions
• Exemptionsrangefromnationalsecuritytoprivacyconcernsto“goaway,that’sinternalstuff”
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RedactionslooklikeSwisscheesesprinkledwithgibberish
Swisscheese
Gibberish(Exemptioncodeslikeb1,b2,b7c,…)
(Holeswhereyourdocumenttextshouldbe)
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Exemptionsareoftenmisused
• Someexemptionsarequestionable.Theirusedoesn’treallyholdupunderknowledgeablescrutiny.Beskeptical.
• WhenitcomestoFOIA,blesstheirhearts,Agenciesinadvertentlymakeerrors.Alot.
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Thethreeexemptionsmostmisused
• Exemptionb(1)–currentlyandproperlyclassifiednationalsecurityinformation
• Exemptionb(2)–internalmaterials
• Exemptionb(5)–legallyprivilegedmaterial;usuallythe“deliberativeprocessprivilege”
Beespeciallyskepticalofthese.
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Whatcanyoudo?
• Sendanappealletter– Google“foiaappeal”formoreinfo
• Thedeniallettershouldtellyouwheretosendyourappeal
• AppealsareoftensuccessfulifyouexplainwheretheAgencywentwrong
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Goodnews:presumptionofdisclosure
PresidentBushandAttorneyGeneralAshcroftorderedagenciesto:– useFOIAexemptionsaggressivelytowithholdmaterial
PresidentObamaandAttorneyGeneralHolderorderedagenciesto:–releaseasmuchaspossible
–presumereleasewhenindoubt
–releaseevenexemptmaterialifthereis“noforeseeableharm”
2000 - 2008 2009 -
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FiveexamplesfromGovernmentAttic.Org
• Non‐commercialwebsitefoundedin2007
• HasfilednumerousFOIArequests
• Asapublicservice,postsdocumentsthataren’tavailableanywhereelse
• Shypeoplebutagreedtobeinterviewed
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FBIConfidentialFileRoomDossier
• CollectionofmemosidentifyingFBIfilessosensitivethattheyhadtobestoredinaspecialfileroom
• 1950–1972
• ServesasaroadmaptohistoricallysignificantFBIfiles
• Showsthetensionbetweentheneedtoisolatecertainfilesbutstillbeabletousethem–thisproblemstillexistsintheelectronicage
• Documentsthatdescribeinterestingdocuments
– Permitsrequestsforparticularfilesofinterest–byfilenumber!
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FBIConfidentialFileRoomDossierThe file on “Smuggling of AtomicBombs or Parts thereof and OtherWeapons of Mass Destructioninto the United States,” containshighly classified information …regarding United Statesdevelopments in the field ofatomic weapons and estimates ofSoviet developments in the fieldof atomic weapons, together withsuggested countermeasures.”
-- August 1, 1952
(And you thought the term “Weaponof Mass Destruction” was somethingPresident Bush came up with!)
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TheFBI’sHighVisibilityMemos
• ProducedwhenevertheFBIhandledaFOIArequestaboutanotableperson
• Thememospointtoanumberofnotablefiles
• GovernmentAtticwebmeistersaskedforthemafterseeingmentionof“highvisfiles”inanotherdocument
• Anotherexampleofdocumentsthatdescribeinterestingdocuments
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TheFBI’sHighVisibilityMemos
John Winston Ono Lennon,Deceased Former Member of theBeatles Musical Group:
“The bulk of the documents to bereleased are from a Security Matter –New Left investigatory file. Theinvestigation was initiated uponreceipt of information that Lennonmight engage in activities to disruptthe 1972 Republican NationalConvention …”
-- May 15, 1980
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DoDResaleActivitiesBoardofReview
• EstablishedbyCongresstoreviewwhichsexuallyexplicitmagazinesandvideoscouldbesoldorrentedonmilitarybases
• Anexampleofwheregovernmentandfreespeechcollide
• TheBoard’smeetingminutesandagendasanddecisionswererequested
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It’sadirtyjob,butsomebody’sgottodoit…
-- DoD Resale Activities Review Board, 1998, p. 80
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Andtheverdictwas…
…andabout160others …andabout10others
Verboten! OK!
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USAFEntertainmentLiaisonOfficeWeeklyReports
• Army/Navy/AirForce/Marines/CoastGuardallhaveHollywoodoffices(“ELOs”)
• “Theremustbesomesortofperiodicreportingtoshowwhattheseguysweredoing”
• Gotalargenumberofweeklyreports
• AwindowintotheinfluenceDoDhasinHollywood
• Showshowthemilitarybuildsitsbrandthoughtheuseofmoviesandtelevision
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USAFEntertainmentLiaisonOfficeWeeklyReports
“Gumball 3000 – Edwards AFBPA referred a producer whoseproject involves music andentertainment stars going on a“Cannonball-like” race from LasVegas to Los Angeles. Theyasked if they could “race” onEdwards runways. According tothe producer the event would beon MTV and made into a feature.SAF/PAYE declined support asnot enough AF involvement towarrant it at this time, plus therace plans to end at a Playboymansion.”
-- October 11, 2005
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FEMA’sRAMPDatabase
• TheFederalEmergencyManagementAgencykeepsasetoflessonslearned
• RAMP:RemedialActionManagementProgram
• Showswhatworkedandwhatfailed
• EverythingfromSpaceShuttleChallengeraccidenttofloods/disasters/hurricanes/tornados
• GAgotaprintoutofthedatabaseafteraskingforthelessonslearnedonaflood,seeingamentionofRAMP,andaskingfortheRAMPdatabase
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FEMA’sRAMPDatabase
Oneofthousandsofsuggestionsforoperationalimprovement:
•“Insupportofrecenthurricanes,CR’sprimaryfunctionistohandoutflyerstovictims.IfIwereadisastervictimwithoutphone,electricityorsomemeanstogettoadisastercenteretc.andreceivedaflyerinformingmeofthisinformation,Iwouldbeinfuriated.”(Item1604‐I‐12,4/5/2006)
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SomeexamplesofitemstheGAdudesrequested
• FOIACaseLogs–listsofFOIArequests
• ContentsofAgencyINTRAnetsites
• ListofInspectorGeneralclosedinvestigations
• Listofagencyvideotapes
• List/CopiesofTSAEmergencyAmendments
• Listofoldeststill‐classifieddocumentsatanagency
• Listofrestrictedopinions(GAO)
• ReportsofanAgencytoCongressnotpostedonline
Documentspointingto
otherdocuments
Agencyself‐identifiedinterestingdocuments
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MorethingstheyFOIAed...
• ContentsofFOIATrackingFolders
• InternalAgencynewsletters
• CorrespondencewithMembersofCongress
• ArticlesfromNSATechnicalJournals
• NORAD9/11AirDefenserecordings
• AgencyMemorandaofUnderstanding(MOU/MOA)
• Listsofmovies/booksontheSpaceStation
• ComplaintstotheFCCaboutTVshowsPopularculture
“Peekbehindthescenes”
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DatabasesarefairgameunderFOIA
• FOIAappliestoelectronicrecordsanddatabases
• Askingfordigitaldatareducescopying/searchcosts
• AlsomakesiteasiertoshareontheInternet
• DiscussingselectionofdatabasefieldswithagencyITfolkscanhelpovercomeagencyobjections
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FOIA+database+web=coolwebsite
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Problem:where’stheinterestingstuff?
• It’stoughforanindividualtoknowwheretheinterestingstuffis…– Orhowtoaskforit,evenifyouknowit’sthere
• Agencieshavenoincentivetotellarequesterwheretheinterestingstuffis– Orwhatmagicwordstousetoretrieveit
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Solution:getthemtotellyou
• TheGAmuchachoshaveadoptedthegeneraltechniqueofsubmittingqueriesthatspurtheagencyitselftosignalwhereitsowninterestingstuffis
Examples:
• Identifyingrestrictedorunpublishedreports
• Lookingfor“missing”reportorfilenumbers
• Lookingatwhathistoricalrecordsarestillclassified
• Focusingonmaterialwithheldbytheagency
• Seeking“documentsthatidentifyotherdocuments”
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Placesyoucangoformoreinformation
• nsarchive.org
• GetMyFBIfile.com
• GetGrandpasFBIfile.com
• OpenTheGovernment.org
• FOI‐Llistservarchives
• GovernmentAttic.org
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Apartingchallenge
• Take30secondstothinkaboutsomethingyou’recuriousabout–arecentnewsstory,orwhatever
• Figureoutwhichgovernmentagencymighthavesomethingtodowithit
• Guesswhatlikelydocumentstheymighthave
• Requestthem!Today!
• Thankyounotesarealwaysagoodidea
• PostyourexperiencesontheHOPEForum!
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Appendix
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PrioritiesofaTypicalFOIAOffice
• Minimizeadministrativehassle• RebuffPITArequests• Minimizeagencyembarrassment/hassle• Notgiveupagency“property”(webuiltit–whyshouldtheygetitforfree?)
• Notreleasesensitivedocuments• Protectthepublictreasury• Whittleawaythebacklogofrequests
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PrioritiesofaTypicalFOIARequester
• Obtaininteresting/usefulrecords(highrelevancy)
• Atminimumcostorfees(lowsystemprocessing)
• Andgetthemreasonablyquickly(lowlatency)