Update: RAW STORY has found more requests made by Democratic staffers not specifically identified by their campaign affiliation, and believes there to be Republican requests that were made without direct affiliation. More on this as it develops, likely Wednesday.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has filed at least eight Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests of the Pentagon seeking information on various senators from each party since 2000, RAW STORY has discovered.
The filings sought information on who had made requests concerning Democratic senators who were up for reelection in 2002, and information the Pentagon had on the correspondence of prominent Senate Republicans John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Most requests, however, centered on their own senators.
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Democrats also filed a request for documents on former Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-NJ), who opted not to run for reelection in 2002 after being dogged by an ethics scandal. The request was filed the summer before the senator decided not to run for reelection.
According to the Pentagon logs, only Democrats sought information on members of the other party by name. It is, however, possible that Republicans made requests via "blind" FOIAs, which would not identify them as being part of a particular office or campaign.
No national Republican campaign committee appears among any of the requestors in the 596-page document detailing all FOIA requests made of the Pentagon since 2000, which was passed to RAW STORY earlier this month by San Francisco-based blogger and activist Michael Petrelis (http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com).
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Phil Singer declined to comment, saying that Democrats were focused on the 2006 elections and not the past. Both parties regularly make inquiries into their own candidates and their opponents as part of due diligence for political campaigns.
The Democrats’ Senate campaign arm also collected information on Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
“REQ DOCS & CORRESPONDENCE & OTHER INFO BY THE CURRENT & FORMER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REP & US SENATE ON SEN: JOHN MCCAIN 1/1/86-TO PRESENT."
“REQ ALL DIRECT CORRESPONDENCE FOR REP LINDSEY GRAHAM: REP: 1/1/95-PRESENT; BETWEEN THE LISTED MEMBERS OR THIER [sic] STAFF AND DOD, INCLUDING LETTERS, REPORTS, REQS & OTHER MATERIAL.”
Democrats received a “partial” file on McCain, and a “partial” file on Graham, the logs show.
The Torricelli request was more specific.
“REQ FOR DOCS INVOLVING CORRESPONDENCE AND OTHER INFO OF THE FOLLOWING MEMBER OF CONGRESS, ROBERT TORRICELLI: REP: 1/1/;83-12/31/96 SEN: 1/1/97-7/19/01 REQ DIRECT CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE LISTED MEMBERS OF THEIR STAFF & YOUR AGENCY, TO INCLUDE LETTERS.”
It appears that Democrats were also concerned what questions others were asking the Pentagon about their own senators. On several occasions, the campaign arm made requests for lists of what others had requested about them.
In 2002, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee made FOIA requests seeking “correspondence with or info about” Senators Baucus, Johnson, Wellstone, Harkin, Durbin, Carnahan, Landrieu, Levin, Cleland, Rockefeller and Biden.” These senators were up for reelection that fall.
The Pentagon logs show the Democrats’ FOIA on themselves was withdrawn in 2003. A second request filed in 2003 on unnamed senators was granted.
Massachusetts Democrats were also among the listed Pentagon filers – the commonwealth’s Jane Lane requested information concerning the “draft, enlistment and/or deferment of [Massachusetts Governor] Williard Mitt Romney” in 2004. According to the logs, the Pentagon had “no record.”
Following are the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committees requests of the Pentagon.
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Requestor: Michael Gehrke / DSCC
Requested 4/16/01 / Withdrawn 2/24/03
REQ COPIES OF FOI REQ TO YOUR AGENCY SEEKING CORRESPONDENCE WITH OR INFO ABOUT THE FOLLOWING CURRENT & FORMER US SENATORS OR THEIR OFFICES & STAFF FILED WITH YOU BETWEEN 1/1/99 & 11/1/00.
Requestor: Benjamin Jones / DSCC
Requested 1/24/02 / Partial Granted 6/20/02
LIST OF CURRENT AND FORMER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND U. S. SENATE BETWEEN 1/1/00 TO PRESENT FOR SENATORS AND 1/1/94 TO PRESENT FOR REPRESENTATIVES
Requestor: Bradley Katz / DSCC
Requested 6/10/02 / Partial Granted 9/17/02
REQ ALL DIRECT CORRESPONDENCE FOR REP LINDSEY GRAHAM: REP: 1/1/95-PRESENT; BETWEEN THE LISTED MEMBERS OR THIER [sic] STAFF AND DOD, INCLUDING LETTERS, REPORTS, REQS & OTHER MATERIAL
Requestor: Benjamin Jones / DSCC
Requested 7/24/02 / Withdrawn 1/9/03
REQ FOR DOCS INVOLVING CORRESPONDENCE AND OTHER INFO OF THE FOLLOWING MEMBER OF CONGRESS, ROBERT TORRICELLI: REP: 1/1/;83-12/31/96 SEN: 1/1/97-7/19/01 REQ DIRECT CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE LISTED MEMBERS OF THEIR STAFF & YOUR AGENCY, TO INCLUDE LETTERS,.
Requestor: Benjamin Jones / DSCC
Requested 3/12/03 / Partial Granted 7/16/03
REQ DOCS & CORRESPONDENCE & OTHER INFO BY THE CURRENT & FORMER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REP & US SENATE ON SEN: JOHN MCCAIN 1/1/86-TO PRESENT.
Requestor: Benjamin Jones / DSCC
Requested 6/27/03 / Granted 8/25/03
REQ: CORRESPONDENCE AND OTHER INFORMATION REQUESTED BY OR PROVIDED TO THE CURRENT MEMBER OF TH U.S. SENATE ( AND FORMER MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (1/1/82-12/31/86)
Requestor: Bradley Katz / DSCC
Requested 6/27/03 / Granted 7/8/03
COPIES OF DFOISR FOIA REQUESTS RECEIVED SEEKING CORRESPONDENCE OF CURRENT US SENATORS OR THEIR OFFICES AND STAFF FILED FROM JANUARY 1, 2003 TO PRESENT
Requestor: Bradley Katz / DSCC
Requested 6/27/03 / Granted 7/8/03
COPIES OF DFOISR FOIA REQUESTS RECEIVED SEEKING CORRESPONDENCE OF CURRENT US SENATORS OR THEIR OFFICES AND STAFF FILED FROM JANUARY 1, 2003 TO PRESENT
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RAW STORY will release the full logs of all FOIA requests made of the Pentagon since 2000 on Friday.
Update: