> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://gijustice.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Declaration of John Buchko (ECF 15) - URL: https://gijustice.com/20261009-doj-ecf15/ - Published: 2026-10-09T17:14:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-26T17:18:38.000Z - Author: Logan M Isaac - Tags: 6:26-cv-00832-MTK, Chelsea Wein, John Buchko, USDOJCRD, USDOJ **DECLARATION OF JOHN BUCHKO IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO DISMISS** --- I, John Buchko, declare the following to be true and correct: 1. I am the Director of Operational Management for the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Civil Rights Division (CRT) serving as Acting Chief of CRT's Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Unit (FOIA/PA) in Washington, D.C. My duties include supervision of the FOIA/PA Unit of CRT, which is responsible for processing all record access requests pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, and the Privacy Act (PA) § 552a, which are received by the Division. 2. I make the statements herein on the basis of personal knowledge, as well as information I have acquired in the course of performing my official duties. 3. CRT's FOI/PA Unit receives hundreds of FOIA and PA requests yearly, touching upon some of the most sensitive and publicized topics of the day. 4. CRT's FOI/PA Unit maintains a centralized database tracking all FOIA and PA requests and the resulting correspondence. Further, and in addition, all email correspondence is maintained separately, representing an additional archive for those requests received electronically. 5. CRT's FOI/PA offices are located at 4CON, 8th Floor, 150 M Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. ### Receipt and Processing of FOIA/PA Request from a Abbie Casteel 1. By email dated March 19, 2026, CRT's FOIA/PA Unit received a FOIA request from an individual purporting to be a "Abbie Casteel" with an email address of abbiecasteel@proton.me.\[^1\] The FOIA request contained the typed signature of "Abbie Casteel." Casteel's email requested:The requested timeframe for the request was November 1, 2009, to the present, which was March 19, 2026, the date CRT received the request. A copy of that FOIA request is attached as Exhibit 1. 1. Any complaints, reports, or referrals received by the Civil Rights Division alleging violations of 18 U.S.C. § 1389 (November 1, 2009, to present). 2. Any internal guidance, memoranda, or policy documents addressing the Civil Rights Division's jurisdiction over or enforcement responsibilities under 18 U.S.C. § 1389 (November 1, 2009, to present). 3. Any communications between the Civil Rights Division and any other DOJ component regarding enforcement responsibility for 18 U.S.C. § 1389 (November 1, 2009, to present). 2. Casteel's request did not reference the name of any other individual. No other email address or name appeared on the recipient line of the request or anywhere else on the request. 3. On April 11, 2026, Abbie Casteel sent a follow-up email to CRT's FOIA/PA Unit. A copy of that email is attached as Exhibit 2. 4. By letter dated April 14, 2026, CRT's FOIA/PA Unit acknowledged receipt of the request and assigned it request number 26-00351-F. A copy of CRT's acknowledgment letter is attached as Exhibit 3. 5. CRT's acknowledgment letter advised that FOIA requests must "reasonably describe" the requested records and that Casteel "may wish to narrow your request to identify a topic, subject matter or issues that would allow CRT to conduct a reasonable search for the records you are seeking." Further, the letter advised Casteel that "we will continue processing this request" after Casteel provides "narrowed search terms." 6. CRT's acknowledgment letter also advised Casteel of the right to administratively appeal this determination within 90 days, pursuant to FOIA. 7. By email dated April 14, 2026, Casteel responded to the request of CRT's FOI/PA Unit and declined to narrow the request. A copy of Casteel's email is attached as Exhibit 4. 8. After Casteel's refusal to narrow the request, CRT's FOIA/PA Unit closed the request. 9. According to DOJ's Office of Information Policy, that office did not receive an administrative appeal regarding Casteel's FOIA request within the statutory time period. ### Casteel's FOIA Request 1. Casteel's request sought information about enforcement responsibility of 18 U.S.C. § 1389\. That section prohibits assaults on servicemembers or their families based on their military service. 2. The Civil Rights Division has authority to enforce certain criminal laws that involve specific aspects of civil rights. *See* 28 C.F.R. § 0.50\. The criminal statutes within CRT's jurisdiction include: 18 U.S.C. §§ 241-242, 245(b)(2), 247-250, 1324, 1328, 1351, 1546, 1581, 1584, 1589-1594, 1596, 2243(b)-(c), 2244(a)(4) and (6), 2421-2422, 3271, and 42 U.S.C. § 3631\. *See* https://www.justice.gov/crt/statutes-enforced-criminal-section (last accessed Oct. 6, 2026). 3. CRT does not have jurisdiction to enforce 18 U.S.C. § 1389. 4. Accordingly, Casteel's request does not involve activities within CRT's area of responsibility, and I have no reasonable basis to believe that CRT would have any records responsive to that request. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1746, I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct and that Exhibits 1 through 4 attached hereto are true and correct copies. Executed on this 9th day of October 2026. \[signature\] John Buchko Director of Operational Management Civil Rights Division U.S. Department of Justice Washington, D.C. 20530 \[^1\]: Although this lawsuit suggests the request actually was submitted by Plaintiff Logan Martin Isaac, the declaration will refer to the requestor as Abbie Casteel (Casteel). ## CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing was placed within a first-class postage prepaid envelope and deposited in the United States Mail within the offices of the United States Attorney or at a United States Post Office according to established office practice at Portland, Oregon, on October 13, 2026\. At the time of this filing, no more outgoing mail through the U.S. Attorney's Office was accepted for today's date, and the weekend includes a federal holiday on Monday, October 12\. This mailed copy is addressed to: Logan M. Isaac 250 Broadalbin St. SW, Ste. 104 Albany, Oregon 97321 *Plaintiff Pro Se* /s/ Samantha Schultz SAMANTHA SCHULTZ Legal Administrative Specialist --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/62/5e/625e8b30-aba8-4ca4-b679-851550ded791/content/images/2026/10/20261009-ECF-15-Buchko_Page_01.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/62/5e/625e8b30-aba8-4ca4-b679-851550ded791/content/images/2026/10/20261009-ECF-15-Buchko_Page_02.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/62/5e/625e8b30-aba8-4ca4-b679-851550ded791/content/images/2026/10/20261009-ECF-15-Buchko_Page_03.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/62/5e/625e8b30-aba8-4ca4-b679-851550ded791/content/images/2026/10/20261009-ECF-15-Buchko_Page_04.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/62/5e/625e8b30-aba8-4ca4-b679-851550ded791/content/images/2026/10/20261009-ECF-15-Buchko_Page_05.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/62/5e/625e8b30-aba8-4ca4-b679-851550ded791/content/images/2026/10/20261009-ECF-15-Buchko_Page_06.jpg)