Opinion ID: 1356581
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Bad Faith Invocation of the Glomar Doctrine

Text: Having concluded that the affidavits more than sufficiently support the NSA's claim that FOIA Exemption 3 encompasses confirmation or denial of the existence of the requested records, we now consider plaintiffs' claims that the NSA invoked the Glomar doctrine for the purpose of concealing illegal or unconstitutional actions. We cannot base our judgment on mere speculation that the NSA was attempting to conceal the purported illegality of the TSP by providing a Glomar response to plaintiffs' requests. A finding of bad faith must be grounded in evidence suggesting bad faith on the part of the [agency]. Larson, 565 F.3d at 864. Ultimately, an agency's justification for invoking a FOIA exemption is sufficient if it appears logical or plausible. Id. at 862 (internal quotation marks omitted). After reviewing the record before us, we agree with the District Court that the agency's affidavits and justification are both logical and plausible. We do not find any evidence that even arguably suggests bad faith on the part of the NSA, or that the NSA provided a Glomar response to plaintiffs' requests for the purpose of concealing illegal or unconstitutional actions.