Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------X
Plaintiffs, :
- v. - : 6:20-cv-2264
Defendants. :
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------X
COMPLAINT
1. This is an action under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552 (“FOIA”), to order
the production of records from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs
and Border Protection, U.S. Department of State, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Defense
Intelligence Agency, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, U.S. Department of Energy and
possessed and/or produced by the agencies. Defendants have withheld these records despite
PARTIES
2. Defendants U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), U.S. Customs and Border
1
Case 6:20-cv-02264 Document 1 Filed 12/13/20 Page 2 of 13 PageID 2
(“FBI”), Defense Intelligence Agency (“DIA”), Office of Intelligence and Analysis (“I&A”),
U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
(“CISA”) are agencies of the United States with possession and control of the records sought
by Plaintiffs.
3. Plaintiff Noelle Llamas is a Florida resident who, as a student, has a permanent address of
32333 Okaloosa Trail, Sorrento, Florida 32776, and who also resides at 4420 Leola Lane,
Orlando, Florida 32812. Plaintiff Ken Klippenstein is the D.C. Correspondent for The Nation
magazine reporting on national security matters and the conduct of federal agencies; his work
has been referenced by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles
Times, The Atlantic and other major media outlets. Plaintiff Klippenstein’s work has also
4. Klippenstein intends to use the records to create a distinct work, educating the public about
the conduct of government agencies and the intelligence gathered and disseminated by these
information, which is of interest to a segment of the public, in the form of a news article.
5. This court has jurisdiction over this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331 and 5 U.S.C. §
552(a)(4)(B).
6. Plaintiff Noelle Llamas’ residence is in the Middle District of Florida and therefore venue is
FACTS
2
Case 6:20-cv-02264 Document 1 Filed 12/13/20 Page 3 of 13 PageID 3
national security. All Defendants are agencies that focus on national security matters and
engage in such intelligence activities, and Defendants STATE, FBI, DIA, I&A, and DOE are
8. Defendants gather information from various sources as part of the intelligence cycle. The
information is processed by analysts into a manner suitable for production and dissemination
as a finished intelligence product, which is then assigned a descriptive title that allows the
reader to discern the general nature and content of the finished intelligence product.
9. There is a great deal of public interest in the activities of the Defendants related to keeping
the nation secure, and the titles of finished intelligence products are instructive with respect
to potential threats to national security, the relative intensity of these threats, and where
10. Intelligence products’ titles provide significant insight about the nature of the intelligence
contained therein, which is crucial to the general public’s ability to discern threats to our
national security and the means and manner in which the federal government responds to
these threats. All of the Defendants are tasked safeguarding our national security and
11. The intelligence products’ titles provide significant insight about the nature of the
intelligence contained therein, which is critical to the general public’s ability to comprehend
12. Both FOIA requests sought a media fee category based upon Plaintiff Klippenstein’s
employment and history of reporting on national security, and additionally sought a fee
3
Case 6:20-cv-02264 Document 1 Filed 12/13/20 Page 4 of 13 PageID 4
government as mentioned above and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the
requesters.
13. The first FOIA request (“Request 1”) sought the following records:
I respectfully request titles of all intelligence products and corresponding metadata (e.g.
document date, control code/number, etc.) in whatever manner the titles and metadata
are stored by your agency: whether the manner is a catalog, list, table, chart, log or
some other manner, inclusive of all intelligence products generated by or for your
agency, transmitted to your agency, acquired by your agency from other agencies, or
otherwise in the possession of your agency regardless of whether your agency’s
possession was temporary or your agency was merely used as a pass-through of
intelligence products from one agency to another.
Please include all intelligence products that may be, but are not limited to, intelligence
enterprise products, threat assessments, significant incident reports, joint reports,
intelligence notes, intelligence bulletins, spotlights, situation reports, Guardian reports,
situational awareness reports, situational awareness bulletins, tactical intelligence
reports, briefs, after action reports, reports, summaries, etc.
You may limit your search to January 1, 2017 through October 7, 2020.
14. The second FOIA request (“Request 2”) sought the following records, along with
background information:
I respectfully request the titles of all intelligence products generated by or for your
agency. Please provide copies of each intelligence product’s title as it first appears in
the document. You may limit your search to titles for all intelligence products dated
from January 1, 2017 through October 13, 2020.
BACKGROUND
Please include in your search titles of all intelligence products transmitted to your
agency, acquired by your agency from other agencies, or otherwise in the possession of
your agency, regardless of whether your agency’s possession was temporary or your
agency was merely used as a pass-through of intelligence products from one agency to
another.
Please note that in an effort to facilitate the timely production of records, this request
does not seek raw or otherwise unfinished intelligence, nor even the general contents of
intelligence products. Rather, this request seeks only each intelligence product’s title as
4
Case 6:20-cv-02264 Document 1 Filed 12/13/20 Page 5 of 13 PageID 5
it first appears in the document. In the unlikely event that no such title exists or if the
title is not descriptive (e.g. “20-DHS-418”), please include a copy of the intelligence
product’s descriptive summary.
Intelligence products include, but are not limited to, intelligence enterprise products,
threat assessments, significant incident reports, joint reports, intelligence notes,
intelligence bulletins, spotlights, situation reports, Guardian reports, situational
awareness reports, situational awareness bulletins, tactical intelligence reports, briefs,
after action reports, reports, summaries, etc.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) Requests and Constructive Denials
15. Request 1 was emailed as a PDF attachment to ICE on October 8, 2020. The email addresses
16. Request 2 was emailed as a PDF attachment to ICE on October 15, 2020, to the same two
17. On November 12, 2020, ICE acknowledged receipt of Request 1 on October 8, 2020,
acknowledgement did not specifically address the request for a fee waiver but stated there
may be duplication fees charged at a media rate as well as fees for search time.
18. On November 24, 2020, ICE acknowledged receipt of Request 2 on October 15, 2020,
5
Case 6:20-cv-02264 Document 1 Filed 12/13/20 Page 6 of 13 PageID 6
acknowledgement did not specifically address the request for a fee waiver but stated there
may be duplication fees charged at a media rate as well as fees for search time.
19. To date, Plaintiffs have received no further response from ICE related to Request 1 or
Request 2.
20. ICE has failed to provide - or formally deny - documents within twenty working days and the
invoked extension, and therefore has constructively denied Request 1 and Request 2 under 5
21. ICE is charged with the duty to provide public access to records in its possession consistent
with the requirements of the FOIA. ICE’s refusal to provide Plaintiffs with the records
requested or make a determination on Plaintiffs’ FOIA requests within 20 working days plus
the invoked extension of October 8, 2020, and October 15, 2020, is a violation of FOIA.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) Requests and Constructive Denials
22. Request 1 was filed with CBP on October 8, 2020, via an online form, and a PDF of the
23. On October 9, 2020, CBP acknowledged receipt of Request 1, assigned tracking number
CBP-2021-001761, and then additionally emailed stating the records were not reasonably
described.
24. On October 12, 2020, an amended request was submitted to CBP via an online form, and a
PDF of the amended request was submitted with the form. The amended request added a
background section that described the intelligence cycle, the various sources of intelligence,
that finished intelligence products have metadata such as titles, the date of the document and
a document or control code number, and clarified that the request does not seek collected
6
Case 6:20-cv-02264 Document 1 Filed 12/13/20 Page 7 of 13 PageID 7
25. Request 2 was filed with CBP on October 15, 2020, via an online form, and a PDF of the
26. On October 15, 2020, CBP confirmed submission of Request 2 on October 15, 2020, and
provided tracking number CBP-2021-003748. The confirmation did not address the request
for fee waiver and merely recited the information contained in the form.
27. Also On October 15, 2020, CBP acknowledged receipt of the amended request on October
12, 2020, invoked a 10 day extension, and provided tracking number CBP-2021-002591.
The acknowledgement did not specifically address the request for a fee waiver but stated
there may be duplication fees charged at a media rate as well as fees for search time.
28. CBP emailed again on October 15, 2020, to change the tracking number of the amended
29. To date, Plaintiffs have received no further response from CBP related to the amended
request or Request 2.
30. CBP has failed to provide - or formally deny - documents within twenty working days or
within the invoked extension for the amended request, and therefore has constructively
denied the amended request and Request 2 under 5 U.S. Code § 552(a)(6)(A)(i).
31. CBP is charged with the duty to provide public access to records in its possession consistent
with the requirements of the FOIA. CBP’s refusal to provide Plaintiffs with the records
requested or make a determination on Plaintiffs’ FOIA requests within 20 working days plus
the invoked extension of October 12, 2020, and October 15, 2020, is a violation of FOIA.
32. Request 2 was emailed as a PDF attachment to STATE’s Bureau of Intelligence and
Research bureau on October 15, 2020. The email address it was sent to is
7
Case 6:20-cv-02264 Document 1 Filed 12/13/20 Page 8 of 13 PageID 8
FOIARequest@state.gov.
33. To date, Plaintiffs have received no response from STATE related to Request 2.
34. STATE has failed to provide - or formally deny - documents within twenty working days and
35. STATE is charged with the duty to provide public access to records in its possession
consistent with the requirements of the FOIA. STATE’s refusal to provide Plaintiffs with the
36. Request 1 was submitted as a PDF upload to the FBI on October 8, 2020 via the FBI’s online
portal.
37. Request 2 was submitted as a PDF upload to the FBI on October 15, 2020, also via the FBI’s
online portal.
38. On October 15, 2020, the FBI provided a letter on Request 1 assigning it FBI FOIPA Request
number NFP-124434. The letter stated the request was overly broad and did not “comport
with the requirements of 28 CFR §16.3(b),” as it does not provide enough detail to enable
personnel to locate records with a “reasonable amount of effort.” The letter provided an
39. An Appeal of NFP-124434 was filed with OIP on October 16, 2020, and OIP acknowledged
the appeal the same date and assigned it appeal number A-2021-00004.
40. On October 22, 2020, the FBI provided a letter on Request 2 assigning it FBI FOIPA Request
number NFP-124657. The letter stated the request was overly broad and did not “comport
with the requirements of 28 CFR §16.3(b),” as it does not provide enough detail to enable
8
Case 6:20-cv-02264 Document 1 Filed 12/13/20 Page 9 of 13 PageID 9
personnel to locate records with a “reasonable amount of effort.” The letter provided an
41. An Appeal of NFP-124657 was filed with OIP on October 23, 2020, and OIP acknowledged
the appeal the same date and assigned it appeal number A-2021-00111.
42. To date, Plaintiffs have received no further response from the FBI or OIP related to Request
43. The FBI and OIP have failed to provide documents within twenty working days of the
appeals, and therefore has constructively denied the appeals of Request 1 and Request 2
44. The FBI is charged with the duty to provide public access to records in its possession
consistent with the requirements of the FOIA. FBI’s refusal to provide Plaintiffs with the
records requested and OIP’s failure to make a determination on Plaintiffs’ appeals within 20
working days of October 16, 2020, and October 23, 2020, is a violation of FOIA.
45. Request 1 was emailed as a PDF attachment to DIA on October 8, 2020. The email address
46. Request 2 was emailed as a PDF attachment to DIA on October 15, 2020, to the same email
47. To date, Plaintiffs have received no response from DIA related to Request 1 or Request 2.
48. DIA has failed to provide - or formally deny - documents within twenty working days and
therefore has constructively denied Request 1 and Request 2 under 5 U.S. Code §
552(a)(6)(A)(i).
49. DIA is charged with the duty to provide public access to records in its possession consistent
9
Case 6:20-cv-02264 Document 1 Filed 12/13/20 Page 10 of 13 PageID 10
with the requirements of the FOIA. DIA’s refusal to provide Plaintiffs with the records
50. Request 1 was emailed as a PDF attachment to I&A on October 8, 2020. The email address
51. Request 2 was emailed as a PDF attachment to I&A on October 15, 2020, to the same email
52. To date, Plaintiffs have received no response from I&A related to Request 1 or Request 2.
53. I&A has failed to provide - or formally deny - documents within twenty working days and
therefore has constructively denied Request 1 and Request 2 under 5 U.S. Code §
552(a)(6)(A)(i).
54. I&A is charged with the duty to provide public access to records in its possession consistent
with the requirements of the FOIA. I&A’s refusal to provide Plaintiffs with the records
55. Request 1 was emailed as a PDF attachment to DOE on October 8, 2020. The email address
56. On October 13, 2020, DOE acknowledged receipt of Request 1 on October 8, 2020, and
reviewing the request to determine if it addresses all the requirements of a proper request and
a subsequent letter would be sent if additional information is needed or to state where the
10
Case 6:20-cv-02264 Document 1 Filed 12/13/20 Page 11 of 13 PageID 11
57. Additionally on October 13, 2020, DOE emailed seeking information as to a particular
program office at DOE that should be searched for responsive records. Plaintiff Klippenstein
responded that same date, informing DOE to search DOE’s Office of Intelligence and
Counterintelligence.
58. Request 2 was emailed as a PDF attachment to DOE’s Office of Intelligence and
Counterintelligence on October 15, 2020, to the same email address in paragraph 55.
59. On October 15, 2020, DOE emailed Plaintiff Klippenstein requesting time to speak via phone
60. On October 16, 2020, DOE emailed again regarding Request 1, noting the specific program
office to be searched and stating Request 1 is still too broad due to a 3 year time period and
asking for a specific incident or DOE employee name or private company name or email to
search.
61. That same date, Plaintiff Klippenstein attempted to contact DOE via phone and the call went
16, 2020 email stating the request is not too broad and provided a screenshot of a log from a
fusion center in Florida as an example of the records requested, to show what titles of
intelligence products and corresponding metadata may look like if stored as a log by DOE.
62. To date, Plaintiffs have received no further response from DOE related to Request 1 and have
63. DOE has failed to provide - or formally deny - documents within twenty working days and
therefore has constructively denied Request 1 and Request 2 under 5 U.S. Code §
552(a)(6)(A)(i).
11
Case 6:20-cv-02264 Document 1 Filed 12/13/20 Page 12 of 13 PageID 12
64. DOE is charged with the duty to provide public access to records in its possession consistent
with the requirements of the FOIA. DOE’s refusal to provide Plaintiffs with the records
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (“CISA”) Requests and Constructive Denials
65. Request 1 was emailed as a PDF attachment to CISA on October 8, 2020. The email address
66. On October 8, 2020, CISA acknowledged receipt of Request 1, assigned tracking number
2021-HQFO-00039, and stated the request was too broad in scope or did not specifically
67. On October 12, 2020, an amended request was emailed as a PDF attachment to CISA via the
email address in paragraph 65. The amended request added a background section that
described the intelligence cycle, the various sources of intelligence, that finished intelligence
products have metadata such as titles, the date of the document and a document or control
code number, and clarified that the request does not seek collected intelligence nor the
68. Request 2 was emailed as a PDF attachment to CISA on October 15, 2020. The email address
69. To date, Plaintiffs have received no further response from CISA related to the amended
70. CISA has failed to provide - or formally deny - documents within twenty working days and
therefore has constructively denied the amended request and Request 2 under 5 U.S. Code §
552(a)(6)(A)(i).
12
Case 6:20-cv-02264 Document 1 Filed 12/13/20 Page 13 of 13 PageID 13
71. CISA is charged with the duty to provide public access to records in its possession consistent
with the requirements of the FOIA. CISA’s refusal to provide Plaintiffs with the records
CAUSE OF ACTION
Violation of the Freedom of Information Act for Wrongful Withholding of Agency Records
REQUESTED RELIEF
(A) Order Defendants to provide access to the requested documents in their entirety;
(C) Award Plaintiffs costs and reasonable attorney fees in this action, as provided in 5
(D) Grant such other and further relief as the Court may deem just and proper.
By:
_____________________________