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Right-to-Know Law Requests

This is a list of records requests I’ve filed since to obtain information about Penn State. I’ve decided to withhold the names of some agencies until the requests have been fulfilled.

Date Submitted Agency Request Agency Response Status
June 18, 2012 PA Dept. Education Copies of all correspondence received by Secretary of Education Ron Tomalis from Penn State University, its administrators, and/or its trustees in April, May and June 2012. Denied. Not sufficiently specific.  Closed
Aug. 14, 2012 PA Dept. of Education Copies of letters, emails, reports and memorandums received by Secretary of Education Ronald J. Tomalis that were (1) received by Tomalis in April, May, June and July of 2012; (2) sent to Tomalis in his official capacity as a member of Penn State’s Board of Trustees; and (3) sent by at least one of 38 named individuals that included Penn State trustees, administrators and staff members. Partially denied Remanded to OOR by Commonwealth Court for further consideration. 
Aug. 20, 2012 UCLA Copies of all letters, e-mails, reports, memorandums and records in any other format that were sent or received by UCLA Chancellor Gene Block concerning NCAA sanctions against Penn State University or the possibility thereof. Provided several letters from the public about sanctions.  Closed
Aug. 12, 2012 Oregon State University Copies of all letters, e-mails, reports, memorandums and records in any other format that were sent to or received by Oregon State University President Edward Ray concerning NCAA sanctions against Penn State University or the possibility thereof. Demanded $250 charge up front. Closed.
Sept. 13, 2012 PA Dept. of Education Copies of contracts, memorandums of understanding and other agreements between Penn State, its officers, trustees and/or other representatives of the university, and the Freeh Group, the law firm of Pepper Hamilton, any other firm that may have assisted with the inquiry into the Sandusky scandal and representatives of either firm. Denied – insufficiently specific.  Closed
Sept. 25, 2012 PA Dept. of Education Copies of contracts, memorandums of understanding and other agreements between: 1. Penn State University and The Freeh Group, and/or its representatives, and/or 2. Penn State University and the law firm of Pepper Hamilton, and/or its representatives. Denied – not sufficiently specific.  Closed
Oct. 18, 2012 PA Dept. of Education Copies of contracts, memorandums of understanding, letters of intent and any other agreements, regardless of title, to which the law firm of Freeh, Sporkin & Sullivan, LLP, is a party. The Secretary of Education is the most likely person at your agency to have possession, custody or control of the requested records. Denied – not sufficiently specific. Appeal granted by OOR. PDE appealed to Commonwealth Court. Request later withdrawn. 
Dec. 3, 2012 PA Dept. of Education Copies of contracts, memorandums of understanding, letters of intent and agreements: 1. that were created or received by your department between November 5, 2011, and July 12, 2012, and 2. whose signatories include the law firm of Freeh, Sporkin and Sullivan, LLP. The secretary of education is the most likely person at your agency to have possession, custody or control of the requested records, as evidenced by his affidavit of Oct. 2, 2012. Denied – not sufficiently specific. Closed
Dec. 4, 2012 PA Dept. of Education Copies of all emails that were sent to Secretary of Eduction Ron Tomalis from Kenneth Frazier between Nov. 5, 2011, and Nov. 11, 2011. Denied – not sufficiently specific.  Closed
Dec. 19. 2012 PA Attorney General Copies of letters, emails and memos that were sent and/or received between November 5, 2011, and July 12, 2012, between employees of your office and the following individuals: 1. Louis Freeh 2. Omar Y. McNeill 3. Ronald Tomalis 4. Kenneth C. Frazier 5. other individuals whose email addresses contain the freehgroup.com domain (i.e. stevesmith@freehgroup.com) Denied – not sufficiently specific. Appeal granted. Records available here.
Dec. 15, 2012 PA Dept of Education Copies of contracts, memorandums of understanding, letters of intent, engagement letters and any other agreements that were created or received by your agency between November 5, 2011 and July 12, 2012, and signed by Louis J. Freeh, Omar McNeill, or any other employee of the law firm of Freeh Sporkin & Sullivan, LLP. The Secretary of Education is the most likely person at your agency to have possession of the requested records. Denied – not sufficiently specific.  Closed.
Dec. 15, 2012 PA Dept. of Education Copies of emails sent to rtomalis@pa.gov and/or jshoop@pa.gov between Nov. 5, 2011 and August 1, 2012, from individuals with the following email addresses: mcneill@freehgroup.com, freeh@freehgroup.com, annette_derose@merck.com, ken_frazier@merck.com, pra4@psu.edu Denied -records not subject to the RTKL. Appealed to the OOR. Dismissed on a technicality.
Jan. 2, 2013 PA Attorney General Copies of all record retention policies and record disposition schedules. Granted.   Closed
Jan. 2, 2013 PA Attorney General  Copies of all emails, letters, notes, transcripts, audio recordings, memorandums, contracts and agreements the were provided to or received from the law firm of Freeh, Sporkin & Sullivan and/or Freeh International Solutions in regard to the “Report of the Special Investigative Counsel Regarding the Actions of The Pennsylvania State University Related to the Child Sexual Abuse Committed by Gerald A. Sandusky.” Denied -grand jury secrecy and criminal investigation.  Appeal partially granted by OAG. Records available here.
Feb. 2, 2013 Secretary of Education Copies of emails, letters, reports, memos, contracts and other correspondence between PDE, members of the Governor’s office and other ex-officio Penn State trustees. Request withdrawn. Closed
March 23, 2013 FBI Correspondance with employees of Freeh, Sporkin & Sullivan. Denied – due to ongoing investigation. Closed.
March 23, 2013 U.S. Dept. of Education Cleary Act investigation & correspondance with Freeh, Sporkin & Sullivan.  Response expected by August 2013. Awaiting response.
March 23, 2013 PA State Police Correspondance with employees of Freeh, Sporkin & Sullivan Denied – not sufficiently specific.  Partially granted. Records due by July 31.
May 4, 2013 PA Attorney General Records of telephone calls to Freeh investigators Denied – not sufficiently specific. Appeal not pursued.
May 4, 2013 PA Attorney General Correspondance with Freeh investigators between July 13, 2012 and Dec. 31, 2012 Partially denied – investigative records are exempt. Appeal filed. Response from OAG due late July.
May 4, 2013 PA Governor Various Sandusky-related records Denied – not sufficiently specific. Appeal filed. Dismissed due to procedural error.
July 6, 2013 PA Attorney General Contracts with Freeh, payments to Freeh, requests for information to Freeh, correspondance with NCAA. Awaiting response  – due mid August
July 10, 2013 PA Governor Records regarding Penn State’s Sandusky investigation. Awaiting response – due mid August
July 6, 2013 Oregon State University Records sent to Ed Ray in his capacity as Chairman of the NCAA’s Executive Committee. OSU has no responsive public records  Closed.
July 13, 2013 Oregon State University

Copies of all letters, e­mails, reports and memos that were sent to OSU President Edward Ray from the NCAA between Nov. 1, 2011, and July 31, 2012.

 Awaiting response.
July 13, 2013. Michigan State University

Copies of all letters, e­mails, reports and memos that were sent to MSU President Lou Anna Simon from the NCAA between August 1, 2012, and July 13, 2013.

 Awaiting Response.

 

  • Anonymous

    On the plus side, you have received several letters from the public about the sanctions from UCLA. :-(

    • Anonymous

      Yeah, apparently a handful of people were upset at the NCAA’s decision. Who knew?