N.Y. Times Co. v. U.S. Secret Serv.

OPINION & ORDER

*1 The New York Times and Jeremy Merrill (“NYT”) filed four Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) requests, seeking billing and payment information from the United States Secret Service (the “Service”) regarding the air transportation cost of the Service’s protective details which accompanied the two 2016 Presidential candidates during the recent campaign. The Service conducted a search of its relevant files and provided documents showing the total costs per trip for the air transportation of the Service’s agents in the 2016 campaign. The Service redacted portions of the documents which disclosed the total passengers, the total Secret Service passengers, the total cost of each leg and the cost per passenger on each of the campaign flights.The Service claims the redacted information is exempt from disclosure under FOIA Exemptions. NYT seeks judicial review of the Service’s claim. There is no suggestion that the Service withheld information to cover up any misfeasance or mistakes. The NYT’s FOIA requests for information are entirely appropriate; and there is no suggestion of bad faith by the Service in granting the FOIA requests in part and objecting to the balance.The Service moves for summary judgment, and NYT cross-moves for summary judgment. NYT also seeks reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs under 5 U.S.C. §552(a)(4)(E). For the