CREW
I
citizensforresponsibilityandethicsinwashington
March7,2011
Byfacsimile:202-219-1043
FederalElectionCommissionAttn:FOIARequesterServiceCenterRoom408999EStreet,N.W.Washington,D.C.20463
Re:FreedomofInformationActRequest
DearSir/Madam:CitizensforResponsibilityandEthicsinWashington("CREW")makesthisrequestforrecords,regardlessofformat,medium,orphysicalcharacteristics,andincludingelectronicrecordsandinformation,audiotapes,videotapesandphotographs,pursuanttotheFreedomofInformationAct("FOIA"),5U.S.C.§§552,
etseq.,
andFederalElectionCommission("FEC")regulations,11C.F.R.Part4.Specifically,CREWrequestsallcorrespondencerelatedtoanyandallFECbusinessbetweenCommissionersMatthewS.Peterson,CarolineC.Hunter,orDonaldF.McGhanIIandanyindividualorentityoutsideoftheFECfromthedateeachcommissionertookofficetothepresent.CREWfurtherrequestsallcalendars,agendas,orotherrecordationsoftheschedulesofCommissionersPeterson,Hunter,andMcGhan.Thisrequestincludes,butisnotlimitedto,anypaperorelectronicdocumentsthatrecordorotherwisekeeptrackofthecommissioners'appointments,meetings,events,andtelephonecalls,whethertheyaremaintaineddirectlybyeachcommissionerorbysomeoneactingontheirbehalf.CREWfurtherrequestsallwritten
exparte
communicationsdeliveredtoanFECethicsofficerorDesignatedAgencyEthicsOfficial("DAEO")(collectively,"ethicsofficial")byCommissionersPeterson,Hunter,andMcGhanorbysomeoneactingontheirbehalfpursuantto11C.F.R.§§7.15(c),201.3(c),201.4(a).CREWalsorequestsallstatementssettingforththesubstanceandcircumstancesofanyoral
exparte
communicationpreparedbyanyofthesecommissionersorbysomeoneactingontheirbehalfanddeliveredtoanethicsofficialpursuantto11C.F.R.§§7.15(d),201.3(c),201.4(a).CREWlimitsitsrequestsforwritten
exparte
communicationsandstatementssettingforththesubstanceandcircumstancesoforal
exparte
communicationstorecordsinthepossessionofanethicsofficial.Pleasesearchforresponsiverecordsregardlessofformat,medium,orphysicalcharacteristics.Wherepossible,pleaseproducerecordselectronically,inPDFformatwithOCR
1400EyeStreet,
uw,
Suite450,Washington,D.C.20005
I
202.408.5565phone
I
202.588.5020fax
I
®~;
FederalElectionCommissionMarch7,2011Page2textrecognitionandonaCD-ROM.Weseekrecordsofanykind,includingelectronicrecords,audiotapes,videotapes,andphotographs.Ourrequestincludesanyletters,emails,facsimiles,telephonemessages,voicemailmessages,andtranscripts,notes,orminutesofanymeetings,telephoneconversations,ordiscussions.Ourrequestalsoincludesanyattachmentstotheserecords.Foranyemail,pleaseproducemetadataand/orheadersthatshowtheemailaddressofthesenderandanyrecipientinadditiontotheirdisplayname,thenamesandemailaddressesofany"bcc:"recipients,andanydataregardingthetimeanddatetheemailwassent,received,and/oropened.Ifitisyourpositionthatanyportionoftherequestedrecordsisexemptfromdisclosure,CREWrequeststhatyouprovideitwithanindexofthosedocumentsasrequiredunder
Vaughn
v.
Rosen,
484F.2d820(D.C.Cir.1973),
cert.denied,
415U.S.977(1972).Asyouareaware,a
Vaughn
indexmustdescribeeachdocumentclaimedasexemptwithsufficientspecificity"topermitareasonedjudgmentastowhetherthematerialisactuallyexemptunderFOIA."
FoundingChurchofScientology
v.
Bell,
603F.2d945,949(D.C.Cir.1979).Moreover,the
Vaughn
indexmust"describeeachdocumentorportionthereofwithheld,andfor
each
withholdingitmustdiscusstheconsequencesofsupplyingthesought-afterinformation."
King
v.
Us.Dep
't
ofJustice,
830F.2d210,223-24(D.C.Cir.1987)(emphasisadded).Further,"thewithholdingagencymustsupply'arelativelydetailedjustification,specificallyidentifyingthereasonswhyaparticularexemptionisrelevantandcorrelatingthoseclaimswiththeparticularpartofawithhelddocumenttowhichtheyapply.'"
Id.
at224(citing
MeadDataCentral
v.
Us.Dep
't
oftheAirForce,
566F.2d242,251(D.C.Cir.1977».Intheeventsomeportionsoftherequestedrecordsareproperlyexemptfromdisclosure,pleasediscloseanyreasonablysegregablenon-exemptportionsoftherequestedrecords.
See5
U.S.c.§552(b).Ifitisyourpositionthatadocumentcontainsnon-exemptsegments,butthatthosenon-exemptsegmentsaresodispersedthroughoutthedocumentastomakesegregationimpossible,pleasestatewhatportionofthedocumentisnon-exempt,andhowthematerialisdispersedthroughoutthedocument.
MeadDataCentral,
566F.2dat261.Claimsofnonsegregabilitymustbemadewiththesamedegreeofdetailasrequiredforclaimsofexemptionsina
Vaughn
index.Ifarequestisdeniedinwhole,pleasestatespecificallythatitisnotreasonabletosegregateportionsoftherecordforrelease.Finally,CREWwelcomestheopportunitytodiscusswithyouwhetherandtowhatextentthisrequestcanbenarrowedormodifiedtobetterenabletheFECtoprocessitwithintheFOIA'sdeadlines.AdamJ.Rappaport,theCREWattorneyhandlingthismatter,canbereachedat(202)408-5565orarappapOli({v,citizensforethics.org.
FederalElectionCommissionMarch7,2011Page3
FeeWaiverRequest
Inaccordancewith5U.S.C.§552(a)(4)(A)(iii)and11C.F.R.§4.9,CREWrequestsawaiveroffeesassociatedwithprocessingthisrequestforrecords.Thesubjectofthisrequestconcernstheoperationsofthefederalgovernmentandexpenditures,andthedisclosureswilllikelycontributetoabetterunderstandingofrelevantgovernmentproceduresbyCREWandthegeneralpublicinasignificantway.Moreover,therequestisprimarilyandfundamentallyfornon-commercialpurposes.5U.S.C.§552(a)(4)(A)(iii).
See,e.g.,McClellanEcological
v.
Carlucci,
835F.2d1282,1285(9thCir.1987).Specifically,theserecordsarelikelytocontributetogreaterpublicawarenessof
exparte
communicationsbetweenFECcommissionersandpartieswithbusinessbeforetheFEC.FECregulationsforbidcommissionersfromengagingin
exparte
communicationswithpartieswithbusinessbeforetheFEC,includingenforcementactions,applicationsforpublicfunding,audits,litigation,rulemakingproceedings,andadvisoryopinions.11C.F.R.§§7.15,111.22,201.1-201.5.Anywritten
exparte
communicationreceivedbyacommissioneroremployeemustbedeliveredtoanFECethicsofficerorDAEOandplacedinthefileoftheenforcementcase,fundingrequest,audit,litigationcase,rulemaking,oradvisoryopinion,andanycommissionersandemployeesmustdeliverstatementssettingforththesubstanceandcircumstancesoforal
exparte
communicationstotheethicsofficialforplacementintheappropriatefile.11C.F.R.§§7.15(c)-(d),201.3(c),201.4(a).Therequesteddocumentswouldshedlightontheextentof
exparte
communicationsandwhethercommissionersarecomplyingwiththeirstatutoryobligationtodeliverthecommunicationsandprepareanddeliverstatementsaboutthemtoethicsofficials.TheactionstodateofCommissionersPeterson,Hunter,andMcGhan,especiallytheirrefusalinthevastmajorityofenforcementmattersbeforethemtoenforcethelawstheyarechargedwithenforcing,raiseseriousquestionsofwhethertheyarecomplyingwiththeirlegalandethicalobligations.Therequesteddocumentswouldassistinansweringthesequestionsofpublicaccountability.CREWisanon-profitcorporation,organizedundersection501(c)(3)oftheInternalRevenueCode.CREWiscommittedtoprotectingthepublic'srighttobeawareoftheactivitiesofgovernmentofficialsandtoensuringtheintegrityofthoseofficials.CREWusesacombinationofresearch,litigation,andadvocacytoadvanceitsmission.ThereleaseofinformationgarneredthroughthisrequestisnotinCREW'sfinancialinterest.CREWwillanalyzetheinformationresponsivetothisrequest,andwillshareitsanalysiswiththepublic,eitherthroughmemoranda,reports,orpressreleases.Inaddition,CREWwilldisseminateanydocumentsitacquiresfromthisrequesttothepublicthroughitswebsite,www.citizensforethics.org,whichalsoincludeslinkstothousandsofpagesofdocumentsCREWacquiredthroughitsmultipleFOIArequestsaswellasdocumentsrelatedtoCREW'slitigationandagencycomplaints,andthroughwww.scribd.com.
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FOIA Request - CREW: FEC: Regarding FEC Commissioners' Communications: 3/7/2011 - FEC FOIA
On March 7th, 2011, CREW filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) seeking records that will shed light on communications three commissioners had with parties outside of the FEC. FEC…
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