AMERICAN ^OVERSIGHT August 20, 2018 VTA ELECTRONIC MAIL U.S. Department of State Office of Information Programs and Services A/GIS/IPS/RL SA-2, Suite 8100 Washington, DC 20522-0208 FOIAiequest@state.gov Re: Expedited Freedom of Information Act Request Dear Freedom of Information Officer: Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552, and the implementing regulations of the Department of State (State), 22 C.F.R. Part 171, American Oversight makes the following request for records. Ahead of President Trump’s visit to London in July 2018, former White House chief strategist Steve Hannon reportedly hosted leaders from Europe’s populist movements to ‘“contextualize Trump’ for a European audience that hates him.”1 Bannon held conversations with rightwing figures such as Nigel Farage and Louis Aliot, Marine Le Pen’s partner. Conservative political commentator Sean Hannity also traveled to London, where he hosted shows with Bannon and Farage on his Fox News program.2 Multiple press reports indicate that Bannon was acting on behalf of the Trump administration in his engagements with Europe’s far-right leaders. In an interview with Politico , Bannon said he was “here to be a surrogate on British media” for the president; Ralreem Kassam, a close adviser to Bannon and former editor of Breitbart London, told The Atlantic, “This is a moment where die White House communications operation for one reason or another needs bolstering, and that’s why I’m happy Steve’s here doing it in my country.”3 American Oversight seeks records to determine (lie State Department’s role, direct or indirect, in arranging meetings between Steve Bannon or Sean Hannity and Europe’s populist movements. ‘Annie Kami, Bannon Hosts Europopulists in London Ahead of Trump’s Visit, POLITICO duly 11, 2018, 7:09 PM), https://www.politico.com/storv/20 1 8/07/ 1 1/bannon-london-trump-populists- 714067. 2 Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage), TWITTER (July 14, 2014, 4:00 AM), https://twitter.eom/N igel Farage/status/ 1 0 1 80877 1815121 8056 (containing video). Rosie Gray, Steve Bannon’s British Sideshow, THE ATLANTIC, July 13, 2018, https://www.dieadantic.coni/politics/archive/2018/07/bannon-london-tmmp/5651 18/. 1030 15th Street NW, Suite B255, Washington, DC 20005 | AmericanOversight.org Requested Records American Oversight requests drat State produce the following records within twenty business days: All records reflecting communications (including emails, email attachments, text messages, messages on messaging platforms (such as Slack, GChat or Google Hangouts, Lync, Skype, or WhatsApp), telephone call logs, calendar invitations/entries, meeting notices, meeting agendas, informational material, talking points, any handwritten or electronic notes taken during any oral communications, summaries of any oral communications, or other materials) between 1) Steve Bannon, 2) Sean Hannity, or 3) Raheem Kassam, the former editor of Breitbart London, and any of the below: A) The Ambassador of the U.S. Embassy in London, Robert Wood “Woody” Johnson IV, or anyone communicating on his behalf; B) The Minister Counselor for Public Affairs of the U.S. Embassy in London, Courtney Austrian; C) The Ambassador of the U.S. Embassy in Germany, Richard Grenell, or anyone communicating on his behalf; D) The Minister Counselor for Public Affairs of the U.S. Embassy in Germany; E) The Ambassador of the U.S. Embassy in France, Jamie McCourt, or anyone communicating on her behalf; F) The Ambassador of the U.S. Embassy in Italy, Lewis Eisenberg, or anyone communicating on his behalf; G) The Ambassador of the U.S. Embassy in Hungary, David Cornstein, or anyone communicating on his behalf; H) The Ambassador of the U.S. Embassy in the Netherlands, Pete Hoekstra, or anyone communicating on his behalf; I) The Minister Counselor for Public Affairs of the U.S. Embassy in the Netherlands, Sherry Keneson-Hall; J) The Ambassador of die U.S. Embassy in Belgium, Ron Gidwitz, or anyone communicating on his behalf; or K) The Minister Counselor for Public Affairs of the U.S. Embassy in Belgium, Carla Benini. 2 STATE-1 8-0440 Please provide all responsive records from December 1, 2017, through the date of the search. In addition to the records requested above, American Oversight also requests records describing the processing of this request, including records sufficient to identify search terms used and locations and custodians searched and any tracking sheets used to track the processing of this request. If State uses FOIA questionnaires or certifications completed by individual custodians or components to determine whether they possess responsive materials or to describe how diey conducted searches, we also request any such records prepared in connection with the processing of this request. American Oversight seeks all responsive records regardless of format, medium, or physical characteristics. In conducting your search, please understand the terms “record,” “document,” and “information” in dieir broadest sense, to include any written, typed, recorded, graphic, printed, or audio material of any kind. We seek records of any kind, including electronic records, audiotapes, videotapes, and photographs, as well as letters, emails, facsimiles, telephone messages, voice mail messages and transcripts, notes, or minutes of any meetings, telephone conversations or discussions. Our request includes any attachments to these records. No category of material should be omitted from search, collection, and production. Please search all records regarding agency business. You may not exclude searches of files or emails in the personal custody of your officials, such as personal email accounts. Records of official business conducted using unofficial systems or stored outside of official files are subject to the Federal Records Act and FOIA. It is not adequate to rely on policies and procedures that require officials to move such information to official systems within a certain period of time; American Oversight has a right to records contained in those files even if material has not yet been moved to official systems or if officials have, through negligence or willfulness, failed to meet their obligations. In addition, please note that in conducting a “reasonable search” as required by law, you must employ the most up-to-date technologies and tools available, in addition to searches by individual 4 See Competitive Enter. Inst. v. Office ofSci. & Tech. Policy, 827 F.3d 145, 149-50 (D.C. Cir. 2016); cf. Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Kerry, 844 F.3d 952, 955-56 (D.C. Cir. 2016). ’ See Competitive Enter. Inst. v. Office ofSci. & Tech. Policy, No. 14-cv-765, slip op. at 8 (D.D.C. Dec. 12, 2016) (“The Government argues that because the agency had a policy requiring [die official] to forward all of his emails from his [personal] account to his business email, die [personal] account only contains duplicate agency records at best. Therefore, the Government claims that any hypothetical deletion of the [personal account] emails would still leave a copy of those records intact in [die official’s] work email. However, policies are rarely followed to perfection by anyone. At this stage of the case, the Court cannot assume diat each and every work related email in the [personal] account was duplicated in [die official’s] work email account.” (citations omitted)). 3 STATE-1 8-0440 custodians likely to have responsive information. Recent technology may have rendered State’s prior FOIA practices unreasonable. In light of the government-wide requirements to manage information electronically by the end of 2016, it is no longer reasonable to rely exclusively on custodian-driven searches. Furthermore, agencies that have adopted the National Archives and Records Agency (NARA) Capstone program, or similar policies, now maintain emails in a form that is reasonably likely to be more complete than individual custodians’ files. For example, a custodian may have deleted a responsive email from his or her email program, but State’s archiving tools would capture that email under Capstone. Accordingly, American Oversight insists that State use the most up-to-date technologies to search for responsive information and take steps to ensure diat the most complete repositories of information are searched. American Oversight is available to work with you to craft appropriate search terms. However, custodian searches are still required; agencies may not have direct access to files stored in .PST files, outside of network drives, in paper format, or in personal email accounts. Under the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016, agencies must adopt a presumption of disclosure, withholding information “only if . . . disclosure would harm an interest protected by an exemption” or “disclosure is prohibited by law.”' If it is your position that any portion of the requested records is exempt from disclosure, American Oversight requests that you provide an index of those documents as required under Vaughn v. Rosen, 484 F.2d 820 (D.C. Cir. 1973), cert, denied, 415 LT.S. 977 (1974). As you are aware, a Vaughn index must describe each document claimed as exempt with sufficient specificity “to permit a reasoned judgment as to whether the material is actually exempt under FOIA.”* * * * * * * 8 Moreover, the Vaughn index “must describe each document or portion thereof withheld, and for each withholding it must discuss the consequences of disclosing the sought-after information.”9 Further, “the withholding agency must supply ‘a relatively detailed justification, specifically identifying the reasons why a particular exemption is relevant and correlating those claims with the particular part of a withheld document to which they apply.’”1" In the event some portions of the requested records are properly exempt from disclosure, please disclose any reasonably segregable non-exempt portions of the requested records. It it is your position that a document contains non-exempt segments, but that those non-exempt segments are so dispersed throughout the document as to make segregation impossible, please state what " Presidential Memorandum— Managing Government Records, 76 Fed. Reg. 75,423 (Nov. 28, 2011), https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/201 1/1 1/28/presidential- memorandum-managing-government-records; Office of Mgmt. & Budget, Exec. Office of the President, Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments & Independent Agencies, “Managing Government Records Directive,” M-12-18 (Aug. 24, 2012), https:// www. archive s. gov/ file s/ records-mgmt/ m- 12-18 .pdf. ' EOIA Improvement Act of 2016 § 2 (Pub. L. No. 1 14-185). 8 Founding Church of Scientology v. Bell, 603 F.2d 945, 949 (D.C. Cir. 1979). 9 King v. U.S. Dep’t of Justice, 830 F.2d 210, 223-24 (D.C. Cir. 1987) (emphasis in original). 111 Id. at 224 (citing Mead Data Central, Inc. v. U.S. Dep’t of die Air Force, 566 F.2d 242, 251 (D.C. Cir. 1977)). 4 STATE-1 8-0440 portion of the document is non-exempt, and how the material is dispersed throughout the document." Claims of nonsegregability must be made with the same degree of detail as required for claims of exemptions in a Vaughn index. If a request is denied in whole, please state specifically that it is not reasonable to segregate portions of the record for release. You should institute a preservation hold on information responsive to this request American Oversight intends to pursue all legal avenues to enforce its right of access under FOIA, including litigation il necessary. Accordingly, State is on notice that litigation is reasonably foreseeable. To ensure that this request is properly construed, that searches are conducted in an adequate hut efficient manner, and that extraneous costs are not incurred, American Oversight welcomes an opportunity to discuss its request with you before you undertake your search or incur search or duplication costs. By working together at die outset, American Oversight and State can decrease the likelihood of costly and time-consuming litigation in the future. Where possible, please proride responsive material in electronic format by email or in PDF or TIF format on a USB drive. Please send any responsive material being sent by mail to American Oversight, 1030 15th Street NW, Suite B255, Washington, DC 20005. If it will accelerate release of responsive records to American Oversight, please also provide responsive material on a rolling basis. Fee Waiver Request In accordance with 5 LbS.C. § 552(a)(4)(A) (iii) and 22 C.F.R. § 171.16(a), American Oversight requests a waiver of fees associated with processing this request for records. First, the subject of this request concerns the operations of the federal government, and the disclosures will likely contribute to a better understanding of relevant government procedures by the general public in a significant way.12 Second, the request is primarily and fundamentally for non-commercial purposes.13 Under the public interest requirement, FOIA requesters must satisfy four factors in sequence.11 American Oversight has met these four factors for the reasons set forth below. The subject matter of the requested records specifically relates to die operations or activities of the government, because it concerns agency communications with private individuals, including Steve Bannon, whose public statements suggest that they are undertaking political or diplomatic efforts on behalf 11 Mead Data Central, 566 F.2d at 261. 12 22 C.F.R. § 171.16(a)(1). 13 22 C.F.R. § 171.16(a)(2). 14 D.C. Technical Assistance Org. Inc. v. U.S. Dep’t of Hous. and Urban Dev. ( D.C . Technical Assistance), 85 F.Supp.2d 46, 48-49 (D.D.C. 2000) (requested documents will contribute to “greater understanding of government activities”). 5 STATE-1 8-0440 of tlie Trump administration.* 1’ The requested documents will be “likely to contribute” to an understanding of specific government operations because of their potential to shed light on any role State has played in facilitating meetings or communications between Steve Bannon, Sean Hannity, or others and the populist movements in Europe. Increasing the likelihood that disclosure of these records will contribute significantly to public understanding, there is currently little or no information available concerning the extent of State’s communications with Mr. Bannon and others who have stated that they are working on behalf of the Trump administration in connection with European populist movements. American Oversight’s objective is to reveal to die public at large any information it receives related to this EOIA request. American Oversight has die capacity to disseminate this information as it posts all records to its public websites and publishes analyses of its records. In the past, the organization has successfully informed die public of specific government activities and operations. As an example, American Oversight obtained Education Secretary DeVos’s calendar entries, which revealed Secretary DeVos’s frequent absences from office, staffing choices, and die influence of charter schools and for-profit colleges on the Education Department." The New York Times and CNN relied on American Oversight’s analyses to report on Secretary DeVos’s priorities within the Department of Education.1' Disclosure will contribute to a greater understanding on die part of the public at large about whether the State Department has worked to promote Mr. Bannon’s efforts to engage European populist movements on behalf of the Trump administration. Disclosure will “significandy” contribute to die public’s understanding of government activities or operations related to whether State has communicated with Mr. Bannon and odier individuals to aid political or diplomatic efforts to strengthen ties between the Trump administration and European political movements. The subject of this request is a matter of public interest, and the public’s understanding of the government’s activities would be enhanced through American Oversight’s analysis and publication of these records. American Oversight’s request is ;dso primarily and fundamentally for non-commercial purposes.18 As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, American Oversight does not have a commercial purpose and die release See Kami, supra note 1; Gray, supra note 3. 16 See Influence & Access at the Department of Education, AMERICAN OVERSIGHT (Oct. 27, 2017), https://www.tunericanoversight.org/investigation/inlluence-access-at-the-departnient-of- education: Unexcused Absences: DeVos Calendars Show Frequent Days Off, AMERICAN OVERSIGHT (Oct. 27, 2017), 1 ll I ps://w\vw.auiericauoycrsigl il.org/uuexcused-ahscuccs-dcvos. 1 Eric Lipton, Betsy DeVos’s School Schedule Shows Focus on Religious and Nontraditional Schools, N.Y. TIMES, Oct. 27, 2017, https://www.nvtimes.com/20 17/1 0/27/us/politics/betsy-devos- work-schedule-education.html; Gregory Wallace et. al., What Betsy DeVos’s Schedule Tells Us About Her Agenda, CNN (Oct. 29, 2017, 12:22 PM), http://www.cnn.com/20 17/1 0/28/politics/devos-schedules-education/index.html. 18 22 C.F.R. § 171.16(a)(2) (i)-(iii) 6 STATE-1 8-0440 of the information requested is not in American Oversight’s financial interest. American Oversight’s mission is to promote transparency in government, to educate tire public about government activities, and to ensure die accountability of government officials. American Oversight uses the information gathered, and its analysis of it, to educate die public through reports, press releases, or other media. American Oversight also makes materials it gathers available on our public website and promotes their availability on social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter.19 American Oversight has demonstrated its commitment to the public disclosure of documents and creation of editorial content. For example, after receiving records regarding an ethics waiver received by a senior DOJ attorney, American Oversight promptly posted the records to its website20 and published an analysis of what die records reflected about DOJ’s process for ethics waivers.21 As an additional example, American Oversight has a project calk'd “Audit the Wall,” where the organization is gathering and analyzing information and commenting on public releases of information related to the administration’s proposed construction of a harrier along die IkS. -Mexico border.22 Accordingly, American Oversight qualifies for a fee waiver. Conclusion We share a common mission to promote transparency in government. American Oversight looks forward to working with State on this request. If you do not understand any part of this request, have any questions, or foresee any problems in fully releasing the requested records, please contact Dan McGrath at foia@iuiiericanoversight.org or 202.897.4213. Also, if American Oversight’s 1 American Oversight currently has approximately 1 1,900 page likes on Facebook and 44,500 followers on Twitter. American Oversight, FACEBOOK, https://www.facebook.com/weareoversight (last visited August 17, 2018); American Oversight (@weareoversight), TWITTER, https://twitter.com/weareoversight (last visited August 17, 2018). 20 DOJ Civil Division Response Noel Francisco Compliance, AMERICAN OVERSIGHT, https://www.ainericanoversight.org/docunient/doi-civil-division-response-noel-francisco- compliance. 21 Francisco & the Travel Ban: What We Learned from the DOJ Documents, AMERICAN OVERSIGHT, https://www.ainericanoversight.org/francisco-tiie-travel-ban-what-we-learned-from-the- doj-documents. 22 Audit the Wall, AMERICAN OVERSIGHT, https://www.aniericanoversiglit.org/investigation/audit- the-walh 7 STATE-1 8-0440 request for a fee waiver is not granted in full, please contact us immediately upon making such a determination. Sincerely, Melanie Sloan Senior Advisor American Oversight 8 STATE-1 8-0440