This post will demonstrate my experience in sending a FOIA Request to the CIA (with interesting results, compared to other FOIA Request responses that i have read on the Internet) and also giving some helpful tips for anyone else who plans to do so in the future. Enjoy.
After reading that many people have sent FOIA request to Government organisations and departments, such as the CIA and FBI, I decided to send my own FOIA/PA (Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act) Request to the CIA requesting for any files on myself or indexed to my name.
In early October i sent my request to the CIA using their FOIA Sample Form Letter from the CIA Website. Since i am currently living outside the U.S. my letter would take at least a week to arrive to the CIA, by post mail. The FOIA requires that responses to requests be answered within 20 working days. On November 20th, (about 6 weeks after sending my request) I eagerly approached my letter box to see a large thick envelope. I anticipated what could lie inside the package. Unfortunately, i was saddened slightly (well wouldnt you be) to see that only a thin letter dated October 30th was inside stating that my request had been denied due to the release of information being protected by statue (by an Executive Order) and therefore the CIA had to comply and could neither confirm or neither deny the existence of records on myself.
I was however quite interested at how the CIA had responded to my request in 12 working days, well in line with the required 20 working days required. I was also impressed at how professional the response was and how the officer handling my request presented exact details on how and where to Appeal the denial of my request. The CIA officer was also quite polite and explained in detail why the request had been denied in the first place (again what a suprise!).
I have since sent an Appeal letter to the CIA explaining in my opinion why the denial of my request should be reviewed and hopefully if records do exist if they could perhaps be disclosed in part perhaps. I will update this post once i get a response from the CIA.
If you plan on sending a FOIA/PA Request to the CIA, perhaps consider the helpful tips below:
#1: The best way in my opinion to send a FOIA/PA Request to the CIA is to use the Sample Form Letter on the CIA Website. All you have to do is copy and paste and fill in your information that is required. Remember to post it to the correct address once completed.
#2: Be patient after sending your request. It may take more than the standard 20 working days, which you should be notified of before 20 working days is up. Sometimes some responses are quick, others sometimes take longer. Pretty much its "first in, best dressed" as the saying goes. A link to the CIA website is located on the blog.
#3: If you request is denied by the CIA, take a deep breath and relax. If you decide to Appeal, be courteous and polite (obviously getting pissed and writing rudely in your appeal letter will obviously not get you anywhere and will just cause more problems). Remember to state clearly why the Agency should reconsider accepting your FOIA/PA Request and use a clear basis in your appeal.
I will update this post once i get the response from my appeal. No rude comments please. If you have feedback to share, email me at the address provided in the Feedback page. Feel free to comment however on your experience in sending a FOIA/PA Request to the CIA or any other U.S. Government department or agency. Cheers.
UPDATE: March 21, 2010: After sending my appeal out almost three months ago and after I received an acknowledgement of my appeal by the CIA, I am yet to be notified as to the outcome of my appeal. The letter from the CIA informed that processing delays may be incurred. I recently tried contacting the CIA by email regarding the status of my appeal. Still waiting for that response too. Looks like i'll be waiting a while before I finally find out if my appeal has been approved.
