LETTER TO DARRELL ISSA FROM WILLIAM C. DANVERS

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
06741350
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
U
Document Page Count: 
2
Document Creation Date: 
March 9, 2023
Document Release Date: 
October 8, 2020
Sequence Number: 
Case Number: 
F-2012-00922
Publication Date: 
February 18, 2011
File: 
Body: 
Approved for Release: 2020/10/07 C06741350 Central Intelligence Agency Washington, D.C. 20505 18 February 2011 The Honorable Darrell Issa Chairman Committee on Oversight and Government Reform U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Chairman Issa: On 25 January 2011 you asked the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA's) Information and Privacy Coordinator for information about the Agency's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) program. We appreciate your interest in our efforts to-keep Americans informed about the workings of their government. We are pleased to enclose paper copies and electronic versions of the Agency's FOIA logs for the past five years (Tab A). The logs show the date we opened the case, the subject of the request, and the assigned tracking number. This number permits us to ensure that we process cases as efficiently as possible. Also, although not an issue in release to a Congressional oversight committee, please note that we have not reviewed and sanitized for public release_ the enclosed logs to address any privacy interests of identified third-party individuals who were the subjects of FOIA requests to the CIA. We are also pleased to enclose a dopy of our FY 2010 FOIA Annual Report, available electronically to the public, in lieu of items two and three (Tab B). Please note. that - CIA has approximately 1,300 pending initial-level FOIA cases. We estimate that the correspondence for these open FOIA cases total in excess of 20,000 pages. The review and sanitization of such a large volume of records would exclusively occupy the time of our limited number of review Approved for Release: 2020/10/07 C06741350 Approved for Release: 2020/10/07 C06741350 The Honorable.Darrell Issa and release professionals. These officers diligently answer incoming FOIA requests, review appeals,- and work hard to reduce the backlog, which, according, to the Administration's Open Government Directive, we should reduce by 10 percent.- We are committed to meeting that goal. These same officers, however, also must review documents for litigation, answer Privacy Act requests and appeals, and answer requests for mandatory declassification review under Executive Order 13526. Regarding items four and five of your letter, we enclose a list of the five FOIA-related litigation cases that during the past five years resulted in CIA paying attorneys' fees and other litigation costs (Tab C). In two of these cases CIA expressly was required by court order to pay (copies of orders enclosed, Tab .D); in another case, CIA paid fees and costs in accordance with a court-approved settlement entered into after a ruling by the Court (copy of relevant order enclosed, Tab E). In the two other cases CIA paid 'costs and fees as a result of operation of law. We are proud that our ongoing review and release activities fully comply with the law and Administration policy. They underscore our firm commitment to releasing all the information we can while ensuring that we continue to protect sensitive national security information. � Sincerely, William C. Danvers Director of Congressional Affairs Enclosures Approved for Release: 2020/10/07 C06741350