Q&A: does the government have a file on former Vietnam protester?
Q. I was in anti-Vietnam War marches in 1968 thru 1971 that turned violent. I want to know what information the government has on me concerning political violence. Where should I send a request?
A. You might consider submitting a Privacy Act request to the FBI. Here are the relevant instructions from the FBI's web site:
If you are requesting information about yourself, you must use one of the following options:
Option 1: Use the U.S. Department of Justice Certification of Identity Form DOJ-361. You may submit an attachment listing additional information that may aid in locating responsive records. Please place your name and contact information on the attachment.
Option 2: Following the instructions in U.S. Department of Justice Certification of Identity Form DOJ-361, submit a letter to the FBI, sign your request, and have it notarized or state, “Under penalty of perjury, I hereby declare that I am the person named above and I understand that any falsification of this statement is punishable under the provisions of Title 18, United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 1001 by a fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment of not more than five years, or both; and that requesting or obtaining any record(s) under false pretenses is punishable under the provisions of Title 5, U. S. C., Section 552a(i)(3) as a misdemeanor and by a fine of not more than $5,000.” If you have any questions about this process before submitting your FOIPA request, please e-mail foipaquestions@ic.fbi.gov.
Mail, fax, or e-mail this letter to the following:
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Attn: FOI/PA Request
Record/Information Dissemination Section
170 Marcel Drive
Winchester, VA 22602-4843
Fax: (540) 868-4391/4997
E-mail (scanned copy): foiparequest@ic.fbi.gov