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Documents 754, 755, 757, 758, 1968

 File — Box: 8, Folder: 6
Identifier: Subseries 1.2.

Subseries Scope and Content

From the Sub-Series:

This subseries contains the materials created or collected by Siminoski in the course of analyzing the documents released to him by the FBI. The FBI was required to deliver to Siminoski a "Vaughn Index" to the documents it released, identifying each document, indicating the statutory exemption (for redaction or withdrawal) claimed, and explaining how disclosure would damage the interests protected by the claimed exemption. The subseries contains two versions of this index, both incomplete. The subseries also contains summaries of the documents released by the FBI, in typescript (documents numbers 1011-2047), manuscript (2048-2227), and on audio tape cassette (12-2047). Few of the FBI documents are marked with the number assigned them in the Vaughn index: a series of folders contains copies of documents that are so marked, arranged in numerical order. Because one of the pillars of his case was the FBI's improper use of exemptions to redact and withhold information, Siminoski and his legal counsel spent considerable effort to determine precisely what exemptions were claimed on each document. The subseries contains Siminoski's manuscript notes, listing each document in Vaughn index number order, and indicating for each document the code for each exemption claimed. The subseries includes a tally sheet, listing each exemption in numerical order and indicating the number of documents in which each exemption was claimed. Siminoski also arranged copies of the FBI documents for analysis by FBI Headquarters or field office. These records were marked with the name of the office and a number representing the year of the document and the sequence of each document within that year, e.g., "LA 53-1"; in most cases, a form for analyzing the contents of the document was also attached. A small number of these documents survive, relating primarily to the Mattachine Society; these documents have been arranged by FBI office name and file number. Siminoski encoded all documents for entry into a computer database, and held "coding parties" each week at Jim Kepner's archives on North Hudson St., in Los Angeles. His correspondence with his ACLU legal counsel also refers to a printout of the information in this database. The collection contains no copy of this printout, and only a handful of encoded documents were found when the collection was processed. A representative number of these coded documents has been retained, as well as sample coding sheets and document coding instructions. The subseries also contains a small folder of Siminoski's analytical and statistical notes on the documents; a larger number of similar notes will be found attached to Siminoski's 1986 memoranda to his legal counsel in Series 2, Subseries 2 (box 15, folders 9-10).

Dates

  • Creation: 1968

Creator

Access

The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.

Extent

From the Sub-Series: 1.7 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Repository Details

Part of the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries, University of Southern California Repository

Contact:
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