1602.12—Appeals of denials.
(a)
Any person whose written request has been denied is entitled to appeal the denial within 90 days by writing to the President of the Corporation or, in the case of a denial of a request for Office of Inspector General records, the Inspector General, at the addresses given in § 1602.5(a) and § 1602.8(b). The envelope and letter or e-mail appeal should be clearly marked: “Freedom of Information Appeal.” An appeal need not be in any particular form, but should adequately identify the denial, if possible, by describing the requested record, identifying the official who issued the denial, and providing the date on which the denial was issued.
(b)
No personal appearance, oral argument, or hearing will ordinarily be permitted on appeal of a denial. Upon request and a showing of special circumstances, however, this limitation may be waived and an informal conference may be arranged with the President or designee, or Inspector General or designee, for this purpose.
(c)
The decision of the President or the Inspector General on an appeal shall be in writing and, in the event the denial is in whole or in part upheld, shall contain an explanation responsive to the arguments advanced by the requester, the matters described in § 1602.11(a) (1) through (4), and the provisions for judicial review of such decision under section 552(a)(4) of the FOIA. The decision shall be dispatched to the requester within 20 working days after receipt of the appeal, unless an additional period is justified pursuant to § 1602.8(i) and such period taken together with any earlier extension does not exceed 10 days. The decision of the President or the Inspector General shall constitute the final action of the Corporation. All such decisions shall be treated as final opinions under § 1602.5(b).
(d)
On an appeal, the President or designee shall consult with the Office of Inspector General prior to reversing in whole or in part the denial of any request for records or portions of records which originated with the Office of Inspector General, or which contain information which originated with the Office of Inspector General, but which are maintained by other components of the Corporation. The Inspector General or designee shall consult with the President prior to reversing in whole or in part the denial.