FBI Response to Sonic Vest Company eFOIA Request (See Post Dated March 4, 2018)

U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Washington, D.C. 20535

May 22, 2018

Edward J Harvilla, Esquire
Sonic Vest Company
[Address Redacted]

FOIPA Request No. [Redacted]

Subject: OTD Interim Report on Sonic Attacks in Cuba

Dear Mr. Harvilla:

This in response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

The FBI can neither confirm nor deny the existence of records responsive to your request pursuant to FOIA exemptions (b)(1) and (b)(3) [5 U.S.C. 552 (b)(1) and (b)(3)]. The FBI is an intelligence agency as well as a law enforcement agency. In its capacity as an intelligence agency, the FBI compiles records while carrying out its responsibility to investigate threats to national security and gather foreign intelligence.

The nature of your request implicates records the FBI may or may not compile pursuant to its national security and foreign intelligence functions. Accordingly, the FBI cannot confirm or deny the existence of any records about your subject as the mere acknowledgement of such records existence or nonexistence would in and of itself trigger harm to national security interests per Exemption (b)(1) and/or reveal intelligence sources and methods per Exemption (b)(3); 50 U.S.C. 3024(i)(1).

It is unnecessary to adjudicate your request for a fee waiver, as no fees are being assessed.

For your information, Congress excluded three discrete categories of law enforcement and national security records from the requirements of the FOIA. See 5 U.S.C. 552(c) (2006 & Supp. IV (2010). This response is limited to those records that are subject to the requirements of the FOIA. This is a standard notification that is given to all our requesters and should not be taken as an indication that excluded records do, or do not, exist.

[Boilerplate FBI Contact, Appeal, and Dispute Resolution Paragraphs Redacted]

Sincerely yours,
[FBI Signer’s Name Redacted]

FOIA Request to FBI, February 27, 2018

Sonic Vest Company, eFOIA to FBI, Received by FBI, February 27, 2018

Organization: Sonic Vest Company

First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Suffix: Edward J Harvilla, Esquire

Email: legal@sonicvest.com

Phone: Redacted

Location: United States

Domestic Address: Redacted

Agreement to Pay
How you will pay:

“I am requesting a fee waiver for my request and have reviewed the FOIA reference guide. If my fee waiver is denied, I am willing to pay additional fees and will enter that maximum amount in the box below.
Allow up to $25”

Proof Of Affiliation for Fee Waiver
Waiver Explanation:

“Disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester. Additionally, disclosure is in the best interest of public health as can be confirmed by visiting https://sonicvest.com because requester operates a global informational clearinghouse to collect, collate, and publicly publish with consent, any accounts or stories of injury sustained by anyone globally from auditory or sonic phenomena in the interest of the development of defensive countermeasures by medical and engineering researchers.”

Documentation Files: [Redacted]

Non-Individual FOIA Request
Request Information:

“Respectfully request production of the FBI Operational Technology Division, Interim Report, dated January 4, 2018, described in the second paragraph of the January 8, 2018, Associated Press (AP Online) article by Josh Lederman and Matthew Lee titled,’Tillerson tells AP Cuba still risky; FBI doubts sonic attack.’ (article text attached as .docx file)

Respectfully submitted,
Edward J Harvilla, Attorney-at-Law
PA Attorney ID 49425”

 

Expedite
Expedite Reason:

“Firstly, the lack of expedited treatment could reasonably be expected to pose a threat to someone’s physical safety because according to the medical literature and popular media, the U.S. Government cannot explain the attack on Cuba diplomats of the United States of America. Nor does the U.S. Government currently have an effective deterrent or defensive countermeasure to similar attacks. Secondly, this FOIA request is made by a person primarily engaged in operating a public information clearinghouse to collect, collate, and publicly publish with consent, any accounts or stories of injury sustained by anyone globally from auditory or sonic phenomena in the interest of the development of defensive countermeasures by medical and
engineering researchers as can be confirmed by reviewing https://sonicvest.com Thirdly, the subject of the request, namely auditory sonic phenomena is of widespread and exceptional media interest, and the information sought involves possible questions about the government’s integrity which affects public confidence as [can be] confirmed by searching the phrase ‘Cuba Diplomats’ on Google and reading the copious news stories questioning the accuracy, depth and management of the investigation of the auditory and sonic phenomena surrounding injury to the Cuba diplomats of the
United States of America.”