This is in response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request dated August 17, 2022 in which you asked for a copy of any communications via email, letter, or memorandum by VA’s Education Service with or from: (1) the State Approving Agencies (SAA) of Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, and Washington; (2) their respective VA Regional Offices; and (3) the VA-OIG concerning the House of Prayer Bible Seminary from November 2020 through July 2022. Your request was received in this office on September 1, 2022. We have assigned FOIA Tracking Number 22-00104-FOIA to your request. Please refer to this number whenever communicating with VA about your request.
Please be advised that your request is denied under FOIA Exemption 7A, 5 U.S.C. § 552 (b)(7)(A), which protects all records compiled for law enforcement purposes which, if disclosed, could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings. We suggest that you submit a new FOIA request when the case has been closed.
For your information, Congress excluded three discrete categories of law enforcement and national security records from the requirements of the FOIA. See 5 U.S.C. 552(c) (2006 & Supp. IV 2010). This response is limited to those records that are subject to the requirements of the FOIA. This is a standard notification that is given to all our requesters and should not be taken as an indication that excluded records do, or do not, exist.
You may appeal the determination made in this response to: Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Office of Counselor (50C), 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, or by email to: [email protected], or by fax to: (202) 495-5867. If you should choose to make an appeal, your appeal must be sent no later than ninety (90) calendar days after the date of this letter. Your appeal must include the assigned FOIA Tracking Number and any reason(s) why you believe the response was in error. If you choose to appeal only a portion of the determination, you must specify which part of the determination you are appealing. The appeal should include a copy of the request and VA’s response. The appeal should be marked, or subject-titled, “Freedom of Information Act Appeal.”
Sincerely,
Ruthlee G. Bellamy
Supervisory Government Information Specialist
VA OIG Release of Information Office