COINTELPRO Authorization and Approval Chain FOIA Requests

SUMMARY

This dossier investigates the existence of pending Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests specifically targeting COINTELPRO authorization and approval chain documents. FOIA is a federal law providing the public with access to government information, with each of over 100 federal agencies responsible for handling its own FOIA requests. While general information on how to file and track FOIA requests is widely available, and past FOIA results are sometimes shared publicly, no specific database or public registry directly indicates the existence or status of pending requests for particular topics across all agencies. Therefore, identifying a pending FOIA request for COINTELPRO authorization documents would likely require direct inquiry or a specialized search of agency FOIA logs, which are not universally centralized or easily searchable by the public for specific subject matter.

CLAIMS

1. VERIFIEDCONF 1.00

   The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) grants the public the right to access information from the federal government.

   — attributed to: U.S. Government (FOIA.gov)

   • https://www.foia.gov/
   • https://www.sec.gov/foia
2. VERIFIEDCONF 1.00

   Each federal agency is responsible for handling its own FOIA requests; there are over 100 agencies subject to FOIA.

   — attributed to: U.S. Government (FOIA.gov)

   • https://www.foia.gov/agency-search.html
   • https://www.securerelease.us/
3. VERIFIEDCONF 1.00

   FOIA.gov offers a search tool to help users locate public information or identify the correct agency for a request, including guided journeys for common records.

   — attributed to: Department of Justice (Office of Information Policy)

   • https://www.justice.gov/oip/blog/upgraded-foiagov-search-tool-delivers-improved-results
4. UNVERIFIABLECONF 0.90

   There is no centralized, publicly searchable database that lists all pending FOIA requests across all agencies by specific subject matter like COINTELPRO authorization documents.

   — attributed to: ARGUS analysis

5. VERIFIEDCONF 0.80

   Past FOIA requests and documents obtained are often shared on platforms like Reddit's /r/FOIA.

   — attributed to: Reddit users

   • https://www.reddit.com/r/foia/
   • https://www.reddit.com/r/foia/comments/10dzkqj/welcome_to_rfreedomofinfo_a_place_to_share_and/
   • https://www.reddit.com/r/foia/comments/1610muk/are_past_foia_requests_available_anywhere/
6. SINGLE-SOURCECONF 0.70

   Requests for records about oneself, such as security clearance files, fall under the Privacy Act rather than FOIA.

   — attributed to: Reddit user on r/foreignservice

   • https://www.reddit.com/r/foreignservice/comments/12bka7d/security_clearance_foia/

TIMELINE

• 1966Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is signed into law. [src]
• 1956COINTELPRO formally initiated by the FBI.
• 1971COINTELPRO publicly exposed, leading to its formal termination.
• 2023-10Upgraded FOIA.gov Search Tool launched by the Department of Justice. [src]

ENTITIES

• EVENT Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) — Law providing public access to government information
• ORG Department of Justice — Federal agency with FOIA responsibilities and guidance
• ORG FBI — Primary agency associated with COINTELPRO
• EVENT COINTELPRO — Historical FBI counterintelligence program
• ORG U.S. Federal Government — Body subject to FOIA requests

OPEN QUESTIONS — PENDING LEADS

• Does the FBI or Department of Justice maintain publicly accessible logs of FOIA requests, beyond basic tracking numbers, that could be searched for keywords like 'COINTELPRO authorization'?
• Have any non-governmental organizations or investigative journalists reported submitting or tracking FOIA requests specifically for COINTELPRO authorization and approval chain documents?
• What specific declassified COINTELPRO authorization documents are currently available through the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and what is their provenance?
• Could a comprehensive search of FOIA logs for the FBI, DOJ, and NARA, if made public, reveal trends in information sought regarding COINTELPRO's origins?
• Are there any academic studies or legal analyses that have attempted to map the FOIA request landscape for specific historical intelligence programs like COINTELPRO?

EVIDENCE — CAPTURED SOURCES

1. [WEB] https://www.foia.gov/

   The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law that gives you the right to access information from the federal government. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government.

2. [WEB] https://www.foia.gov/agency-search.html

   Search for an agency It's important that you identify the correct agency for your request. There are over 100 agencies and each is responsible for handling its own FOIA requests. You can start your request, learn more about an agency, or see an agency's contact information using …

3. [WEB] https://www.justice.gov/oip/blog/upgraded-foiagov-search-tool-delivers-improved-results

   Initially launched in October 2023, the Search Tool helps users locate already-public information or the correct agency to submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The Search Tool contains guided journeys for users seeking commonly-requested records, such as travel or …

4. [WEB] https://www.securerelease.us/

   About FOIA Each federal agency handles its own records in response to requests. There are currently one hundred agencies subject to the FOIA with several hundred offices that process FOIA requests. Your request will receive the quickest possible response if it is addressed direct…

5. [WEB] https://www.justice.gov/oip/department-justice-freedom-information-act-reference-guide

   The Department of Justice Freedom of Information Act Reference Guide (Reference Guide) provides guidance for making Freedom of Information Act requests to the Department of Justice. Much of the information provided in the Reference Guide can also be found elsewhere on the Departm…

6. [WEB] https://www.sec.gov/foia

   The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552, promotes transparency in government by providing any person with the right to request access to federal agency records. All agencies of the U.S. government are required to disclose records upon receiving a written request for…

7. [WEB] https://www.archives.gov/foia/tracking

   To check the status of your pending request, click on the link for the NARA location where your request was submitted (e.g., for a request sent to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, click on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library link). Once there, search the list for the FO…

8. [WEB] https://www.foia.gov/how-to.html

   Most federal agencies now accept FOIA requests electronically, including by web form, e-mail or fax. See the list of federal agencies for details about how to make a request to each agency and any specific requirements for seeking certain records. Is there a special form I have t…

9. [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/foia/

   /r/FOIA is a place to post links to documents obtained using the Freedom of Information Act or other public records laws. Feel free to post news stories that relied heavily on FOIA as well if the story also provides the documents used in the reporting. If you have questions about…

10. [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/foia/comments/10dzkqj/welcome_to_rfreedomofinfo_a_place_to_share_and/

    /r/FOIA is a place to post links to documents obtained using the Freedom of Information Act or other public records laws. Feel free to post news stories that relied heavily on FOIA as well if the story also provides the documents used in the reporting. If you have questions about…

11. [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/disclosureparty/comments/16cipjt/anyone_have_experience_with_foia_requests_here/

    Here's a chatgpt template too. File FOIA Request Instructions Default (GPT-3.5) List the step by step instructions on how to file an FOIA request. ChatGPT Filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request can vary slightly depending on the specific government agency you're reque…

12. [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/foia/comments/1610muk/are_past_foia_requests_available_anywhere/

    /r/FOIA is a place to post links to documents obtained using the Freedom of Information Act or other public records laws. Feel free to post news stories that relied heavily on FOIA as well if the story also provides the documents used in the reporting. If you have questions about…

13. [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/foia/comments/1axnqj5/can_i_get_this_information_from_a_foia_request/

    /r/FOIA is a place to post links to documents obtained using the Freedom of Information Act or other public records laws. Feel free to post news stories that relied heavily on FOIA as well if the story also provides the documents used in the reporting. If you have questions about…

14. [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/foia/comments/14xoe4h/cbp_foia_processing_times/

    /r/FOIA is a place to post links to documents obtained using the Freedom of Information Act or other public records laws. Feel free to post news stories that relied heavily on FOIA as well if the story also provides the documents used in the reporting. If you have questions about…

15. [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/foia/comments/1da1glu/which_agencies_have_you_filed_a_foia_request_with/

    Which agencies have you filed a FOIA request with? So far, I've sent at least one FOIA request to the following (in no particular order): Department of Labor National Archives Records and Records Administration United States Postal Service Department of Homeland Security National…

16. [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/foreignservice/comments/12bka7d/security_clearance_foia/

    I believe you actually want a privacy act request. I did it 20 years ago for my clearance at DOS out of pure curiosity. You are requesting the records about yourself, which is why it's a privacy act and not a foia.

CROSS-REFERENCE

• → SHARES-EVENT COINTELPRO: FBI Counterintelligence Program Against Domestic Groups (1956–1971) — This dossier concerns FOIA requests for documents related to the COINTELPRO program.
• → SHARES-EVENT COINTELPRO Authorization Chain and Bureaucratic Approval Mechanisms — This dossier directly addresses efforts to obtain documents concerning the COINTELPRO authorization chain, which is the subject of the linked dossier.