January 17, 2007

OGE FOIA Officer
Office of Government Ethics, Suite 500
1201 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20005

Re: Freedom of Information Act Request

To Whom It May Concern:

I am making this request under the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552. Please provide the original Year End Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE SF 278 Form) from Calendar Year 2000 for former Secretary of Commerce Norman Y. Mineta, filed sometime in early 2001. Specifically, please provide all copies–including but not limited to the original copy–of Mr. Mineta’s Schedule B filings, which can be found on page 7 of the Report. If the Schedule B filing was amended multiple times prior to the existence of the latest version that OGE provides upon request (which is dated April 18, 2002), please provide copies of each of these versions.

I request a waiver of all costs associated with fulfilling this submission pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iii). Disclosure of the requested records will further the “public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government and is not primarily in the commercial interest” of the requester, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO). Specifically, POGO intends to use the requested records to investigate Secretary Mineta’s financial dealings. POGO is researching Secretary Mineta’s behavior during his tenure as Secretary of Transportation, and we need his complete financial disclosure forms in order to fully understand his connections to the transportation industry. POGO’s research will help the public become more informed about the relationship between a prominent public official and the private sector.

Founded in 1981, POGO is an independent nonprofit that investigates and exposes corruption in order to achieve a more accountable federal government. POGO disseminates information about its activities to thousands of concerned citizens, policymakers, and the media via email, direct mail, and its web site http://www.pogo.org, which receives 75,000 visitors monthly. The information provided by the agency will be used for the following activities: publication by email and on our website; publication in reports and newsletters issued by POGO; publication in the newsletters of affiliated nonprofit organizations; efforts to educate Congress, the Executive Branch, and other policymakers in Washington, DC; or investigational projects conducted in conjunction with the news media.

If this request is denied in full or in part, please cite the exemptions pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 552(b) that justify the denial. If an exemption applies, however, please consider exercising the agency’s discretionary release powers to disclose the records. Additionally, please release all reasonably segregable portions of the records that do not meet an exemption.

I look forward to your response within 20 days of the receipt of this request, unless, in the case of “unusual circumstances,” the time limitation is “extended by written notice.” I may appeal this request if it is wholly or partially denied or if the agency fails to respond within 20 days. I am aware that, if successful, a federal district court may assess “reasonable attorney fees and other litigation costs” per 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(E).

Please contact me if this request requires further clarification. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,