Opinion ID: 552329
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Department of the Army

Text: 39 Appellant submitted a request to the Army on August 21, 1985; the Army responded by a letter dated March 31, 1986. The Army responded that it had identified records concerning Operation Rusty and Odessa that might be responsive to Oglesby's request, but that a fee commitment was necessary before the Army could proceed with the search. See Letter to Carl Oglesby from Thomas F. Conley (March 31, 1986), reprinted in J.A. at 31-32. The Army refused to waive fees because it was not convinced that there was a sufficient public interest to justify a waiver. 11 See id. Exhaustion does not occur until the required fees are paid or an appeal is taken from the refusal to waive fees. See National Treasury Employees Union v. Griffin, 811 F.2d 644, 648 (D.C.Cir.1987) (where the requester failed to adequately demonstrate a public interest for a fee waiver before the agency it cannot do so before a court without first exhausting its administrative remedies); Irons v. FBI, 571 F.Supp. 1241, 1243 (D.Mass.1983) (upholding regulation requiring payment of fees, or waiver of fees, before FOIA request is deemed to have been received); Crooker v. United States Secret Service, 577 F.Supp. 1218, 1219 (D.D.C.1983) (requester must pay fees or administratively appeal the requirement of fees before seeking judicial review of the denial of his FOIA request). 40 Once appellant made his commitment to pay the Army search and copy fees, by letter dated April 3, 1986, he fulfilled the requirements for a valid FOIA request. See Letter to Thomas F. Conley from Carl Oglesby (April 3, 1986), reprinted in J.A. at 33. Ten days after that date, appellant was free to sue the Army in district court to compel a response. However, he did not do so; instead, he waited to file suit until after the Army responded on May 20, 1986, with its determination to withhold most of the records on exemptions 1 and 7(D) grounds. 12 See Letter to Carl Oglesby from Robert J. Walsh, Jr. (May 20, 1986), reprinted in J.A. at 36-37. 41 Appellant filed suit on December 11, 1987, challenging the Army's denial of his fee waiver request, the partial denial of his request for information, and the inadequacy of the search. Because, however, he did not take an administrative appeal on any of these claims, judicial review of such claims is precluded at this time.