Bestor v. Federal Bureau of Investigation

499 F. Supp. 2d 4, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 56611, 2007 WL 2230267
CourtDistrict Court, District of Columbia
DecidedAugust 6, 2007
DocketCivil Action 06-1745 (RMU)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 499 F. Supp. 2d 4 (Bestor v. Federal Bureau of Investigation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bestor v. Federal Bureau of Investigation, 499 F. Supp. 2d 4, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 56611, 2007 WL 2230267 (D.D.C. 2007).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

URBINA, District Judge.

Granting the Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss 1 the Plaintiff’s Washington Field Office FOIA Request and Granting the Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment as to the Plaintiff’s FBI Headquarters and Seattle Field Office FOIA Requests

I. INTRODUCTION

The pro se plaintiff, Andrew Bestor, submitted three separate requests under the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), 5 U.S.C. § 552, to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (“FBI”): one to FBI Headquarters (“FBIHQ”), one to the Washington Field Office (“WFO”) and one to the Seattle Field Office (“SEFO”). Dissatisfied with the FBI’s responses to his re *7 quests and alleging that the FBI has unlawfully refused to disclose all documents relating to him, the plaintiff brings suit against the defendant 2 pursuant to FOIA. The defendant moves for summary judgment, contending that the DOJ conducted a reasonable search for records responsive to the plaintiffs requests and that the plaintiff failed to exhaust his administrative remedies. Because the plaintiff did not exhaust his administrative remedies for his request filed with the WFO, the court grants the defendant’s motion to dismiss that claim. Because the defendant conducted an adequate search as to the plaintiffs other two requests, the court grants the defendant’s motion for summary judgment as to those claims.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Factual History

1.The FBI Headquarters Request

On May 17, 2005, the plaintiff submitted a FOIA request to FBIHQ seeking “copies of all documents and files the FBI has on [the plaintiff].” Def.’s Mot. for Summ. J. (“Def.’s Mot.”) Ex. A; Compl. ¶2. 3 The FBI assigned the request number 1021054 (the “FBIHQ request”), and on May 23, 2005, it advised the plaintiff that a document search at FBIHQ located no records pertinent to the request. Def.’s Mot. Ex. B. On June 7, 2005, the plaintiff filed an administrative appeal with the Office of Information and Privacy (“OIP”). Def.’s Mot. at 4. After discussions with OIP personnel, the FBI conducted an additional search. Id. On September 6, 2005, the FBI produced one page of responsive information and advised the plaintiff to submit a “new request to the Washington Field Office directly.” Compl. Ex. 1; Def.’s Mot. at 4.

2.The Washington Field Office Request

On October 1, 2005, the plaintiff submitted a FOIA request directly to the WFO, which the defendant designated as number 1031496 (the “WFO request”). Def.’s Mot. at 4. On October 25, 2005, the defendant informed the plaintiff that it did not locate any records responsive to his request and advised him of his right to appeal the determination. Id. Ex. G. The defendant contends that the plaintiff filed no administrative appeal with the OIP regarding this determination. Def.’s Mot. at 5, Deck of David M. Hardy (“Hardy Deck”) ¶ 13.

3.The Seattle Field Office Request

On June 7, 2005, the plaintiff submitted a FOIA request to the Seattle Field Office for all “files, data, notes, electronic files, or other types of records and systems of files the FBI — and the Seattle Field Office of the FBI — may have concerning [the plaintiff].” Def.’s Mot. ¶ 9. On September 23, 2005, the FBI advised the plaintiff that his request had been assigned number 1029403 (the “SEFO request”) and that it located no responsive records. Id. ¶ 10. The plaintiff appealed the SEFO determination on September 27, 2005. Id. ¶ 11.

*8 The defendant states that after receiving the plaintiffs complaint initiating the instant suit, the FBI conducted a second search of the FBIHQ, WFO and SEFO, and on January 29, 2007, FBIHQ provided the plaintiff with two unredacted pages. Id. Ex. H. On September 5, 2006, the OIP affirmed the SEFO’s initial determination. Compl. Ex. 1-2.

B. Procedural History

On October 12, 2006, the plaintiff filed suit alleging that the FBI unlawfully withheld information he requested in each of his FOIA requests submitted to the FBIHQ, the WFO, and the SEFO. Compl. ¶ 1. On February 6, 2007, the defendant filed a motion for summary judgment asserting that there are no genuine issues of material fact, that the plaintiff has not exhausted his administrative remedies, and that it conducted adequate searches for each request. Def.’s Mot. at 2-8. In response, the plaintiff filed an opposition contending that the defendant has documents about him that it has not released. PL’s Opp’n to Def.’s Mot. to Dismiss (“PL’s Opp’n”) at 1. The court now addresses the defendant’s motion..

III. ANALYSIS

A. Legal Standard for Summary Judgment

Summary judgment is appropriate when “the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” FED. R. CIV. P. 56(c); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Diamond v. Atwood, 43 F.3d 1538, 1540 (D.C.Cir.1995). In deciding whether there is a genuine issue of material fact, the court is to view the record in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion, giving the non-movant the- benefit of all favorable inferences that can reasonably be drawn from the record and the benefit of any doubt as to the existence of any genuine issue of material fact. Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157-59, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970). To determine which facts are “material,” a court must look to the substantive law on which each claim rests. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). A “genuine issue” is one whose resolution could establish an element of a claim or defense and, therefore, affect the outcome of the action. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548; Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505.

FOIA affords the public access to virtually any federal government record that FOIA itself does not specifically exempt from disclosure. 5 U.S.C. § 552; Vaughn v. Rosen, 484 F.2d 820, 823 (D.C.Cir.1973).

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Bestor v. Federal Bureau of Investigation
539 F. Supp. 2d 324 (District of Columbia, 2008)

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499 F. Supp. 2d 4, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 56611, 2007 WL 2230267, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bestor-v-federal-bureau-of-investigation-dcd-2007.