FOIA at NSF - More tyranny at NSF

NSF routinely does not meet the 20 day statutory rule in responding to FOIA requests.  This current email exchange proves that.  Here is the key admission by NSF " As for the estimated response date, that date is automatically generated (20 days after your request is received and perfected) based on the statutory time limits of the FOIA.  However, we can rarely make that deadline because of the voluminous nature of most of our requests."

From: bobleyse@aol.com
To: kari_emond@risch.senate.gov
Sent: 11/22/2017 10:05:12 AM Mountain Standard Time
Subject: Fwd: RE: NSF FOIA Request: 2017-285F

Senator Risch,

The forwarded note discloses that NSF is routinely not meeting the requirement for a 20 day response time to a request under FOIA.  Nevertheless, NSF has plenty of resources to add ways of sending money to universities as is detailed in my most recent email to you. 

It is well past the the time that NSF needs to be shaken up.

Robert H. Leyse

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From: jguz@nsf.gov
To: bobleyse@aol.com
Cc: foia@nsf.gov
Sent: 10/24/2017 10:50:25 AM Mountain Standard Time
Subject: RE: NSF FOIA Request: 2017-285F

Good afternoon Mr. Leyse

The National Science Foundation has "multitrack processing" of their FOIA requests -- which allows us to process requests on a first-in, first-out basis within each track, and also permits us to respond to relatively simple requests more quickly than requests involving complex and/or voluminous records.  As for the estimated response date, that date is automatically generated (20 days after your request is received and perfected) based on the statutory time limits of the FOIA.  However, we can rarely make that deadline because of the voluminous nature of most of our requests.  Technically, there are over 200 requests that should be processed before 2017-285F and our office move at the beginning of the month did no help either.  However, we hope to have a response to you early in November.

Regards,

Justin Guz

//

Justin Guz

Government Information Specialist

Office of the General Counsel

National Science Foundation

2415 Eisenhower Avenue

Alexandria, Virginia  22314

Telephone:  703-292-2289

From: bobleyse@aol.com [mailto:bobleyse@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2017 12:30 PM
To: Guz, Justin Joseph <jguz@nsf.gov>
Subject: Re: NSF FOIA Request: 2017-285F

Mr. Guz,

So far I have received nothing.

Robert H. Leyse

In a message dated 9/25/2017 4:28:35 PM Mountain Standard Time, jguz@nsf.gov writes:

The estimated response date to your request is October 20, 2017.