Petrelis Files

UPDATE: The Washington Post's media critic, Howard Kurtz, on Nov. 4 asks why Brown is _still_ on the FEMA payroll. I, for one, sure would like to know what we have to do to put Brown on the unemployment line.


FEMA's Brown Still on Fed Payroll; His Contracts FOIA'ed

[This was faxed and snail mailed today.]

Richard Reback
Department of Homeland Security
FOIA Director
Office of the Inspector General
245 Murray Lane, Bldg. 410, S.W.
Washington, DC 20528

Re: FOIA Request for Michael D. Brown's Contracts with DHS and FEMA

Dear Mr. Reback:

I read in the Chicago Tribune today that former Federal Emergency Management Agency director Michael D. Brown is still on the federal government's payroll.

"[FEMA spokeswoman Nicole] Andrews confirmed that Brown is still on FEMA's payroll as a consultant. She said he works from home, where he is 'pulling all the documentation together' to aid in the investigations into the government's response to Katrina. His original 30-day contract was recently extended for another 30 days, she said," the paper reported.

Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act for expedited processing, which call for the quick release of documents related to exceptional public and media interest in a federal employee, in this case Brown, I am asking that copies of all of his contracts with FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security, from the start of his employment with the agencies through the end of 2005, be immediately released to me.

I want every full-time and consulting contracting between Brown and DHS made public.

Disclosure of the requested information to me is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government and is not primarily in my commercial interest.

If you have any questions regarding my request, please call me at 415-621-6267.

Sincerely,
Michael Petrelis
San Francisco, CA

Cc: Sen. Tom Coburn, R-OK