FOIA request letter: Any agency
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Are you aware that the public is legally entitled to the full or partial disclosure of hundreds-of-thousands of pages of unreleased information and documents under the federal Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552, also known as FOIA)? As an investigative journalist or researcher, are you already aware of FOIA law but not quite comfortable yet in using it to your advantage? With the way laws are written and bureaucracies are arranged, obtaining these documents can cause serious headaches unless you know exactly what you're doing.
I will write a one-page FOIA request letter that is thorough enough to yield responsive records from any federal, state, or local agency. The turnaround for writing this letter is always within a day or less. Often, it can even be within hours or minutes depending on the scope of the request.
Additional simbi credits will be required for filing via U.S. Mail/FedEx/email, receipt and digital storage/transfer of responsive documents, and followup with agencies.
Also note that, in some instances, money payments will be required (not directed to me but to official agencies) before you can receive significant amounts of documents. If this is the case, I will let you know the exact amount and get your approval before proceeding.
Training & Qualifications
Having worked as a researcher and FOIA request filer for an established consultancy, I've already had the responsibility of directly handling more than 400 federal, state and local public records requests for various clients. I know how to carefully draft and send new FOIA requests, assist in checking on the statuses of existing requests, and maintain email, phone, and traditional mail correspondence to ensure that any and all requests are being sufficiently fulfilled. If needed, I can also write concise appeal letters that cite specific portions of federal and state statutes if an agency's response to a request is demonstrably inadequate (something which happens a lot more often than you'd think!).
Availability & Preferences
Weekdays