Researcher uses Claude to unearth hundreds of CIA, FBI records and win a FOIA appeal
nwilliams030 · x · 2026-09-26
A researcher describes pointing Claude at his old thesis and sources to find new leads. The original work used 50 sources, including dozens of CIA documents; the update now draws on hundreds more — 165 CIA records, 191 State Dept documents, plus OAS, UN records and Costa Rican memoirs. Claude helped identify gaps, draft new FOIA requests to the CIA, NSA, FBI and DIA, and even write a successful appeal after the FBI refused to confirm or deny records on an American mercenary pilot. He also shared PRDB, a prototype public-records research tool with source links, request templates, and exemption notes.
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