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Paul Andrew Mitchell <supremelawfirm@gmail.com>

FOIA APPEAL: Ref: F-2025-16816 _ U.S. Department of State Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request

Paul Andrew Mitchell, B.A., M.S. <supremelawfirm@gmail.com>

Tue, Apr 21, 2026 at 3:18 PM

To:  FOIAAppeals@state.gov

 

TO:

Appeals Officer, Information Access Programs Directorate (A/SKS/IAP),
U.S. Department of State, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20520

 

Greetings Appeals Officer:

 

This is our formal appeal of our original FOIA Request assigned

Number Ref:  F-2025-16816 .

 

The Federal law in question appears to be the Act of Congress

at 5 U.S.C. 2902(a):

 

 

"... the Secretary of State shall make out and record, and 

affix the seal of the United States to, the commission 

of an officer appointed by the President."

 

That subsection (a) appears to be necessary 

to avoid any conflicts of interest that would arise

if the Attorney General were to countersign 

her/his own PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION.

 

Compare 5 U.S.C. 2902(c) which clearly requires

the U.S. Attorney General to countersign, seal and

record in the U.S. Department of Justice

the PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSIONS issued 

to other principal Federal officers, like Federal Judges:

 

"shall be made out and recorded in the Department of Justice 

under the seal of that department and countersigned by the Attorney General"

 

 

Therefore, we are hereby appealing our original FOIA Request

as based chiefly upon our reasonable interpretation of 5 U.S.C. 2902(a) supra.

 

Thank you for your timely professional consideration of this FOIA Appeal.

 

 

Sincerely yours,

/s/ Paul Andrew Mitchell, FOIA Requester

All Rights Reserved

 

 

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Paul Andrew Mitchell, B.A., M.S. <supremelawfirm@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Apr 21, 2026 at 11:25 AM
Subject: Re: Ref: F-2025-16816 _ U.S. Department of State Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request
To:  <FOIA_Inquiry@state.gov>
Cc:  <OIG_FAB_Requests@stateoig.gov>

 

Thank you very much:  we will be appealing your reply 

as soon as we can prepare a proper FOIA Appeal.

 

For the designated legal custodian of the requested COMMISSION

please see 5 U.S.C. 2902(a):

 

 

" (a)  Except as provided by subsections (b) and (c) of this section, 

the Secretary of State shall make out and record, and 

affix the seal of the United States to,

the commission of an officer appointed by the President."

 

 

/s/ Paul, Retired senior / Damaged Party

All Rights Reserved

 

 

On Tue, Apr 21, 2026 at 11:14 AM <FOIA_Inquiry@state.gov> wrote:


Reference No:  F-2025-16816
Request Description:  electronic copy of the Presidential commission appointing Mr. Merrick Garland to the Office of U.S. Attorney General.

Dear Mr. Mitchell,


Please see the attached letter regarding your U.S. Department of State FOIA request referenced above.

Should you have any difficulties opening the letter please contact this office at, FOIA_Inquiry@state.gov

with your request number in the subject line.

Sincerely,

Ennelle Debrosse

Supervisory Government Information Specialist 

FOIA Case Processing Office
Information Access Programs Directorate

 

 

--

Sincerely yours,
/s/ Paul Andrew Mitchell, B.A., M.S., Retired senior / Damaged Party
Private Attorney General, Civil RICO:  18 U.S.C. 1964;

Agent of the United States as Qui Tam Relator (4X),

Federal Civil False Claims Act:  31 U.S.C. 3729 et seq.

 

All Rights Reserved ( cf. UCC 1-308 https://www.law.cornell.edu/ucc/1/1-308 )

 

F-2025-16816-Final.Response.pdf
214K