Background The following document is the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Congressional Budget Justification for the year 2013. Although previously released a few years ago, the NRO took a couple of years to process my request. After attempting to charge me fees for the document, I appealed based on the fact that it would be of great public interest, and was GRANTED the fee waiver (a rare FOIA victory!) So, in July of 2016, the NRO released the document to me. I was surprised to see the document was considerably much more lengthy then previous releases (at least, those that I have…
Author: John Greenewald
Background In 2013, NBC did a very popular story on the “Secret” CIA Museum inside the agency’s compound. Here is an excerpt from their article, followed by the online video piece: The “coolest museum you’ll never see” has a new piece de resistance – the gun found next to the body of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan when Navy SEALs killed him in a midnight raid. The AK-47 is a recent addition to a collection that’s among the toughest tickets in the country for museumgoers. Tucked into various hallways at CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., the museum displays the gadgets,…
Background The following was released by the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) on July 27, 2016. Today we are releasing a report on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) program at the United States Secret Service (USSS), the fifth in our series of assessments of FOIA programs at components of the Department of Homeland Security. Like other OGIS reports on agency FOIA program assessments, the report includes findings and recommendations about the USSS FOIA Program. USSS’s FOIA Program is centralized; program offices search for responsive records and the FOIA office processes them and responds to the requester. USSS accepts requests…
Background In April of 2014, I filed a request to the Executive Office of the President – Office of Science and Technology Policy – for all emails/communications to/from Google. It took more than two years to process, and eventually got an email stating that about 1,500 pages of material was released, and if I wanted that as responsive to my request. I agreed, and received the below package. The document is scanned in the document order it was received. Eventually, there will be a planned indexing of the material, but for now, I wanted to add it to The Black Vault…
Background Candidates for President or Vice President must file an annual Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Public Financial Disclosure Report with the FEC within 30 days after becoming a candidate, or by May 15 of that calendar year, whichever is later, but at least 30 days before the election. After a candidate has filed his or her initial public financial disclosure report, the candidate must file an annual OGE Public Financial Disclosure Report with the FEC on or before May 15th each successive year in which the individual continues to be a candidate. A presidential or vice-presidential candidate may request…