FOIA Commons

This Freedom of Information Act request seeks records from the U.S. Department of State concerning the treatment of U.S. Army veteran Sgt. Kelvin Blas by personnel at U.S. Embassy Lomé in Togo. The request seeks the complete American Citizen Services (ACS) case file, records of repeated attempts by Sgt. Blas to obtain assistance, embassy communications, welfare check documentation, and records related to the confiscation of his passport by Togolese authorities. The request also seeks documentation of the embassy’s response when Sgt. Blas reportedly arrived at the embassy on November 11, 2025 requesting emergency assistance after several days without food, along with internal guidance and decision records related to emergency consular assistance for U.S. citizens in distress. The request was submitted on December 15, 2025. A tracking number and acknowledgment were not initially issued. The Department of State later acknowledged the request and assigned case number F-2026-10280 after the requester contacted the agency to inquire about missing tracking numbers for several previously submitted requests.

This public records request seeks communications and records held by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts concerning federal demands from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for large-scale Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participant data. The request covers communications with USDA Food and Nutrition Service officials, interactions with EBT payment processors regarding data requests, potential federal funding penalties, multi-state coordination regarding the federal data demands, and internal Massachusetts audits related to SNAP fraud indicators. The request was submitted by True Signal Media on November 18, 2025 as part of an investigation into federal-state disputes over SNAP data access, privacy protections, and allegations of widespread fraud within the program. Despite the statutory obligations of the Massachusetts Public Records Law, the records officer handling the request, Briana, did not provide a tracking number for the request and repeatedly issued two-week extensions without providing substantive explanations or a timeline for the release of records. After multiple unexplained extensions and continued delays, an administrative appeal was filed. The appeal was decided in favor of the requester. Following that decision, the agency produced records; however, the materials provided did not appear to be responsive to the records requested, and further appeal proceedings may be required.

This FOIA request seeks records from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) concerning known fraud indicators involving home health agencies (HHAs) and hospice providers in Los Angeles County, California. The request seeks records reflecting CMS review, analysis, or response to concerns regarding disproportionate growth of providers, geographic clustering of HHAs and hospice agencies, and multiple Medicare-certified providers operating at the same physical address. It also seeks records concerning CMS consideration of enforcement actions such as payment suspensions, enrollment moratoria, deactivations, or revocations related to providers in Los Angeles County. Additional records requested include CMS communications and analysis related to a January 9, 2026 congressional letter to HHS-OIG regarding large-scale Medicare fraud in Los Angeles County, as well as records related to CMS oversight of accrediting organizations responsible for certifying HHAs and hospice providers in the region.

This FOIA request seeks records from the Department of Veterans Affairs confirming the employment status of Alex Pretti at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System prior to January 24, 2026. Requested records include documentation sufficient to show dates of employment, position titles and departments, employment status as of January 24, 2026, and the manner and effective date of separation if applicable. The request does not seek personnel evaluations, disciplinary records, or medical information, but only administrative records sufficient to confirm employment status.

This FOIA request seeks records from U.S. Customs and Border Protection related to internal and external communications concerning public narratives following the January 24, 2026 killing of Alex Jeffrey Pretti in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The request specifically seeks communications referencing Mr. Pretti’s background, alleged employment history, or misconduct claims, including references to “Lakeshore Medical” or similar assertions circulated publicly after the incident. It also seeks records concerning media messaging, talking points, narrative management, and agency awareness or monitoring of social media posts relating to Mr. Pretti. Requested records include internal communications, press guidance documents, draft statements, communications with journalists, and records reflecting monitoring or assessment of viral social media claims related to Mr. Pretti’s background.

This FOIA request seeks records from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) related to the fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti in Minneapolis, Minnesota on January 24, 2026. Requested records include use-of-force reports, after-action reports, internal communications, and compliance reviews related to CBP personnel involved in the incident. The request also seeks body-worn camera log metadata documenting video captured by CBP personnel during the operation. The request was submitted by True Signal Media as part of ongoing reporting on federal law enforcement use-of-force incidents and related oversight processes.

FOIA request submitted to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office seeking communications between the Attorney General’s Office and six identified members of the Governor’s Office concerning (1) the criminal prosecution of Jenny Thornley, (2) the qui tam whistleblower lawsuit People ex rel. Fox v. State of Illinois, and (3) prosecutorial decisions related to workers’ compensation fraud. The request seeks communications regarding charging decisions, plea negotiations, sentencing recommendations, restitution determinations, litigation strategy, dismissal decisions, cost-benefit analysis referenced in court filings, and related prosecutorial discretion matters. The request was formally narrowed to six specified Governor’s Office officials and three defined subject areas for the period January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2025

FOIA request submitted to the California Department of Social Services seeking administrative and policy records concerning the agency’s reporting of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) data to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS) during FY 2024 and FY 2025 The request seeks records related to internal deliberations or directives concerning delayed or withheld SNAP data submissions, communications with the Governor’s Office or federal officials, guidance from USDA or HHS, and documents citing statutory, procedural, or political rationale for modifying or suspending reporting It also seeks impact assessments or internal analyses regarding the effects of data non-submission on eligibility verification, funding, or public transparency, as well as policy materials referencing “data audits,” “data integrity reviews,” or “cleanup campaigns” since October 2023 This request is limited to administrative and policy records and expressly excludes personally identifiable recipient data

FOIA request submitted to the Department of Homeland Security seeking records related to the creation, transmission, monitoring, or response to public claims circulated following the January 24, 2026 killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Minnesota The request seeks internal and external communications referencing Mr. Pretti’s background, alleged prior employment misconduct, and any claims involving “Lakeshore Medical” or similar assertions It further seeks records reflecting DHS, ICE, CBP, Border Patrol, or Office of Public Affairs involvement in public messaging, media guidance, narrative management, congressional briefings, and monitoring of viral social media content following the incident The request covers all record formats, including email, text messages, Signal, WhatsApp, Teams, Slack, memoranda, drafts, and attachments This request seeks to determine whether federal agencies created, amplified, monitored, or internally assessed disputed claims concerning Mr. Pretti’s background in the immediate aftermath of the incident.

FOIA request submitted December 15, 2025 seeking all Department of State communications and records relating to the characterization of Sgt. Kelvin Blas as a “romance scam,” including evidence supporting the determination, internal deliberations, headquarters review, and communications with advocates or congressional offices. The Department acknowledged the request on February 13, 2026 and assigned it to the complex processing track, citing “unusual circumstances” due to the need to search additional offices and/or Foreign Service posts. Expedited processing was denied. A fee waiver determination is pending in separate correspondence. This request seeks to document the factual basis, if any, underlying the Department’s repeated use of the “romance scam” characterization and to determine whether verified military service, citizenship, or subsequent review prompted reconsideration.

This FOIA request seeks Department of Veterans Affairs records concerning how the agency identifies, tracks, or supports U.S. military veterans located overseas who require assistance. Requested records include policies, directives, databases, statistical reporting, and interagency communications with the Department of State or Department of Defense related to veterans abroad from January 1, 2015 to the present. The request focuses on whether formal systems or coordination mechanisms exist within the Department of Veterans Affairs for monitoring or assisting veterans outside the United States.

OIA request F-2025-30280 sought the complete ACS case file and related internal records concerning consular handling of Sgt. Kelvin Blas, including memoranda, cables, database entries, and interoffice communications. On November 25, 2025, the Department of State closed the request with a determination that no responsive records were located. An administrative appeal was filed on November 27, 2025, challenging the adequacy of the search and the no-records determination. As of this posting, no appeal acknowledgment or tracking number has been received.

On December 8, 2025, a submission to the Department of State requesting documentation supporting the November 25, 2025 Welfare and Whereabouts Service Summary and related database records was assigned tracking number F-2026-05989. On December 17, 2025, the Department administratively closed F-2026-05989 as duplicative of previously processed FOIA request F-2025-28917 and enclosed the December 3, 2025 final response package for that request.

On September 17, 2025, Covenant for Forgotten Warriors submitted FOIA request F-2025-28917 via FOIA.gov to supplement a previously filed August 4, 2025 email request that had not received acknowledgment. The request sought communications and records concerning U.S. citizen Kelvin Blas, including internal embassy communications, consular case file materials, interagency correspondence, incident logs, and case status updates from January 1, 2020 to present. The records released by the Department consist primarily of selected email correspondence and Welfare and Whereabouts Service summaries. The production does not include escalation tracking logs, comprehensive internal memoranda, or broader interoffice coordination records described in the original request. On December 8, 2025, an administrative appeal was filed challenging the adequacy of the Department’s search and the scope of the production. The appeal asserts that the records released consisted primarily of the requester’s own correspondence and did not include the broader internal communications and case documentation described in the original request. On December 8, 2025, a follow-up submission raising concerns about inaccuracies in the Welfare and Whereabouts Service Summary was assigned a new tracking number (F-2026-05989) and later administratively closed as duplicative.

On September 29, 2025, Covenant for Forgotten Warriors submitted FOIA request F-2025-30610 via FOIA.gov seeking Embassy Lomé consular section records referencing Sgt Kelvin Blas from March 1, 2020 to present, including emails, cables, memoranda, call records, and coordination with Washington headquarters. The request included both a fee waiver request and a request for expedited processing. The request was filed and received the same day and marked “Closed” on September 30, 2025. No records were produced at the time of closure. On November 27, 2025, an administrative appeal was filed challenging the Department’s closure of the request without issuance of a determination letter or production of records.

On September 24, 2025, Covenant for Forgotten Warriors submitted FOIA request F-2025-30284 to the U.S. Department of State seeking escalation tracking logs and case management records maintained by the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA/OCS) concerning Sgt Kelvin Blas. The request specifically sought case escalation logs, tracking spreadsheets, dashboard entries, internal status updates, and related communications reflecting how the case was categorized or escalated within CA/OCS systems from the date of passport seizure to present. The request included both a fee waiver request and a request for expedited processing. On December 8, 2025, the Department updated the portal status of this request to “Closed.” The notification was automated and did not include a written determination or explanation accompanying the closure.

On September 24, 2025, Covenant for Forgotten Warriors submitted FOIA request F-2025-30283 to the U.S. Department of State seeking internal Embassy Lomé records documenting or justifying decisions to limit, delay, or deny consular assistance to Sgt Kelvin Blas. The request specifically sought draft and final memoranda, internal briefing materials, cables, legal adviser guidance, and escalation communications to senior embassy leadership concerning the rationale for withholding or restricting support following the seizure of Sgt. Blas’s passport.

On September 29, 2025, Covenant for Forgotten Warriors submitted FOIA request F-2025-30612 to the U.S. Department of State seeking records held by the Bureau of African Affairs and the Office of West African Affairs referencing Sgt Kelvin Blas from March 1, 2020 to present. The request sought communications between AF/W and U.S. Embassy Lomé, internal briefing materials, decision memoranda, and records concerning welfare, case handling, and repatriation coordination. On November 17, 2025, the Department placed the request in the “complex” processing track, denied expedited processing, and denied a fee waiver. On December 8, 2025, the Department issued a “no records” determination and closed this request along with eight other FOIA requests on the same day.

This request seeks records from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office concerning the qui tam whistleblower lawsuit People ex rel. Emily Fox v. State of Illinois, et al., including litigation files, motion to dismiss materials, communications, decision-making records, appellate records, and discovery-related materials for the period January 1, 2020 through present. This case was assigned tracking number F077857-012026 following clarification and narrowing of a prior request.

FOIA Case F077736-123025 involves a request submitted to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office seeking communications between the Attorney General’s Office and the Governor’s Office regarding whistleblower allegations, prosecutorial decisions, workers’ compensation fraud investigations, Merit Board matters, and related litigation involving Jenny Thornley and associated individuals.