How to File a FOIA Request and Why You Should
Expose what they want to keep hidden.
In this moment of creeping executive power, agency purges, and silencing of dissent, we need every tool at our disposal. One of the most powerful, and underused, is the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives you the legal right to request records from federal government agencies. FOIA is a critical tool to uncover internal communications like memos and emails, policy drafts, budget shifts, and other documentation (even meeting notes) that may be used to justify harmful decisions.
FOIA gives every person in the U.S. the right to request internal government records. It’s how we expose what’s done in the shadows. It’s how we catch abuses early. And it’s how we disrupt the machinery of authoritarian consolidation before it’s too late.
The best part? You don’t need to be a lawyer or journalist to file a FOIA request. You don’t need to be an expert. If you can send an email, you can file a FOIA.
Why FOIA Matters for the Resistance
Project 2025, Schedule PC, and Executive Order 14215 are just a few of the tools being deployed to reshape the federal government into a centralized, loyalty-driven machine. These policies are designed to operate quietly reclassifying civil servants, cutting off funding, and politicizing independent agencies.
When we file FOIAs:
We uncover patterns that can justify lawsuits and media coverage.
We empower whistleblowers by showing public scrutiny.
We make secrecy uncomfortable.
We create space to organize before harm is locked in.
But FOIA disrupts that silence. It brings hidden plans into public view. Every delay tactic, every funding cut, every purge leaves a paper trail…and we can follow it.
Use a FOIA request in order to:
Investigate agency decisions (e.g. staffing cuts, funding freezes, schedule changes)
Get timelines for implementation of Schedule PC or EO 14215
Expose internal memos or emails that show political pressure or harm
Track funding reallocations and program shutdowns
How to File a FOIA Request
You don’t need special credentials or legal knowledge. Just follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Pick Your Agency
Think about where the information lives.
Examples:
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) → federal staffing and employment
Department of Justice (DOJ) → law enforcement, civil rights
Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) → grant programs, public health
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) → policing, immigration
Use https://www.foia.gov to find agency contact info and submission portals.
Step 2: Write Your Request
Keep it short, clear, and specific. Here's a sample (more examples can be further down this article):
Subject: FOIA Request Regarding Executive Order 14215 and Schedule PC
To Whom It May Concern,
Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552), I request access to any records, communications, implementation plans, or internal memos related to:
Schedule PC personnel review processes
Executive Order 14215 and agency consolidation
Please include emails, meeting notes, staffing plans, or guidance documents created between [start date] and [end date].
I request a waiver of all fees, as this request is made in the public interest and not for commercial purposes. Please provide the records electronically.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Email]
Step 3: Submit It
Most agencies let you file online through a portal or by email. Visit foia.gov and search for your agency’s FOIA office. Once you submit, you’ll get a tracking number.
Agencies are required to respond within 20 business days…but delays happen. Follow up. Be persistent.
What You Can Request (Examples)
Here are high-impact FOIA ideas tailored to resist Project 2025 and federal authoritarian overreach:
Schedule PC Personnel Purge
Internal memos outlining how agencies will review or fire civil servants.
Names or job titles identified for review or reclassification.
Legal justifications or internal risk memos about purging staff.
Memos describing how staff will be reviewed or fired
HR communications with political appointees
Grant Freezes & Funding Cuts
Directives from OMB or agency leadership about freezing discretionary grants.
Internal spreadsheets showing delayed, reduced, or revoked awards.
Emails with terms like “defund,” “pause grants,” or “political alignment.”
Executive Order 14215 Consolidation
Communications on merging independent agencies under executive control.
Draft language or timelines for implementing EO 14215.
Records showing resistance or concern from career staff.
Legal memos evaluating constitutionality of EO 14215.
Communications about merging independent agencies.
Media & Public Communication Suppression
Orders or drafts limiting press access or media responses.
Directives on messaging to public health, environmental, or immigration offices.
Instructions to remove content from agency websites or social media.
Militarizing Federal and Local Law Enforcement
Memos between agencies on transferring military gear to police.
Lists of jurisdictions receiving “excess national security assets.”
Training materials referencing riot control, protest suppression, or crowd control.
DHS Communications with sheriffs or governors about "restoring law and order."
Attacks on Dissenting Officials
Records about demotions, firings, or investigations of officials who publicly disagreed with policy.
Internal whistleblower complaints or retaliation reports.
Memos about “political reliability” or “alignment” criteria for appointments.
DEI and Civil Rights Rollbacks
Communications or plans to eliminate DEI offices, cancel trainings, or dismantle equity councils.
Guidance to agencies about using “merit-only” hiring criteria.
Internal pushback from civil rights offices or staff.
Stacking Independent Commissions
Names submitted or vetted for political loyalty to lead independent agencies (e.g., FEC, FTC, FCC).
Vetting memos or loyalty screening procedures for potential commissioners.
Project 2025 Planning Documents
Drafts or memos referencing the Heritage Foundation's Mandate for Leadership.
Communications with Russ Vought, the Center for Renewing America, or partner orgs.
Internal analyses of risks, legal implications, or expected resistance.
White House Coordination
Calendars or visitor logs of key figures tied to Project 2025.
Emails between agency heads and White House policy shops about Schedule PC or EO rollouts.
Meeting notes from inter-agency coordination on purges or enforcement.
Tips for FOIA Framing:
Use search terms like:
“Schedule PC,” “EO 14215,” “political alignment,” “loyalty,” “grant freeze,” “defund,” “Vought,” “Project 2025,” “restructuring,” “realignment,” “suppression,” “law and order,” “mission critical roles,” “public trust,” “equity,” “civil service reform,” “OMB memo.”
Example FOIA Requests
#1: Schedule PC Personnel Purges
Subject: FOIA Request: Records Related to Schedule PC Implementation
To Whom It May Concern,
Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552), I request access to all records, memos, emails, meeting notes, guidance, or staffing documents related to:
- The planning or implementation of “Schedule PC” or “Schedule F” reclassification;
- Reviews of career civil service employees for political alignment;
- Internal communications regarding proposed staff terminations, reassignments, or reclassifications under Schedule PC.
Please include documents generated between [insert start date] and [insert end date].
I request that the information be provided in electronic format. I also request a waiver of all fees, as the disclosure is in the public interest and not for commercial use.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Email]
[City/State]
#2: Grant Freezes & Funding Cuts
Subject: FOIA Request: Records on Grant Freezes and Defunding Guidance
To Whom It May Concern,
Under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552), I request access to all documents, memos, internal emails, spreadsheets, or communications related to:
- Funding freezes, suspensions, or delays of federal grants or contracts;
- Any directives referencing “freezing,” “pausing,” or “defunding” social service, health, education, or housing programs;
- Communications between the agency and OMB or the Executive Office of the President regarding discretionary grant programs.
Please include materials produced between [insert date range], and deliver the documents electronically.
I request a fee waiver, as this request concerns matters of urgent public interest.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Email]
[City/State]
#3: Executive Order 14215 & Agency Consolidation
Subject: FOIA Request: Records Related to Executive Order 14215
To Whom It May Concern,
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
I am seeking access to any records—including drafts, memos, internal communications, or planning documents—related to:
- Executive Order 14215 and efforts to consolidate or centralize agency regulatory authority;
- Transfers of power from independent offices to political appointees;
- Coordination between agency leadership and Russ Vought, the Office of Management and Budget, or affiliated organizations (including the Center for Renewing America).
Please include communications from [insert date] to [insert date] and provide all records in electronic format.
As this information is of significant public interest and not for commercial purposes, I respectfully request a fee waiver.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Your Email]
[City/State]
Tips to Customize Before Sending:
Add a date range (e.g., “January 1, 2024 to present”).
Choose the agency relevant to your issue:
OPM → staffing
HHS → funding/programs
DOJ/DHS → policing and consolidation
Add specific keywords if you want to narrow scope (e.g., “Schedule PC,” “EO 14215,” “political alignment,” etc.).
Make It Bigger
FOIA works even better when it’s part of a broader resistance strategy.
Pair your request with an op-ed, social media thread, or press inquiry.
Share your findings with advocacy groups or legal allies.
Build public pressure on agencies to respond and be transparent.
Turn it into a public library of accountability.
Resources
foia.gov – Main portal for all agency contacts
MuckRock.com – Free platform to track and file FOIAs
Knight First Amendment Institute – Legal advocacy & support
Ready to Try It?
If you submit a FOIA, let us know. We’ll compile, publish, and share responses so others can build from your work. You don’t have to fight the dark alone—we’re in this together.
Submit. Resist. Expose.
I submitted three FOIA requests tonight, OMB, HHS and OMB. Yes!
Let’s get into this! Bury these cretins in paperwork! In the process, get more information!