Tell it the story you're chasing. It maps the government paper trail, drafts legally precise FOIA requests, tracks every statutory deadline — and when an agency stonewalls, it writes the fight, all the way to the courthouse. Running privately on your own computer.
| Story / records | Agency | Status | Clock | Next step — say this to Claude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tsunami cameras — installation & maintenance logs | Richmond DPW | OVERDUE · DAY 9/5 | VIOLATION — no response | "Send DPW the overdue notice" |
| Tsunami cameras — POs, invoices, contracts | Richmond Procurement | DENIED · FIGHTING | Rebuttal reply due Aug 5 | "Any word from Procurement?" |
| Tsunami cameras — FEMA/VDEM grant applications | Richmond OEM | AWAITING · DAY 3/5 | Due Aug 4 | Nothing yet — nudge on day 5 |
| Sheriff overtime — comp policies | Henrico Sheriff | FULFILLED | Closed Jul 14 | — |
FoiaMCP runs inside Claude on your own computer — it's a toolkit of Virginia FOIA law, battle-tested letter templates, and a deadline engine that counts in working days, the way the statute does. You work it like a colleague at the news desk, and steer from a dashboard that always tells you what to say next.
It maps the paper trail: which records exist, which agency holds each one, what each proves, and the smart order to ask — money records first.
"I want to look into why Richmond bought tsunami cameras"Statute-correct request emails, addressed to the right FOIA officers, with fee protection built in. You review and send from your own email — it never sends anything.
"Draft the requests for the money records"Every event updates the legal clock and the dashboard. Silence past the deadline isn't just rude — it's a violation, flagged the morning it happens.
"They denied it — 'critical infrastructure,' they say"Agencies deny because denial usually works — most reporters stop at the first "no." FoiaMCP makes each escalation nearly free, with the documents already written. Most fights end on rung one or two.
Dismantles each cited exemption — scope, procedure, segregation — with the statute doing the talking. Sets a cure deadline.
A free advisory opinion from a state body. No lawyer needed. Agencies rarely defy the Council — this rung ends most fights.
A fill-in Petition for Mandamus for your local General District Court, plus affidavit, exhibits, filing checklist, and hearing prep.
An agency must respond — records, a specific written exemption per record, or "no records." Silence is a violation.
FOIA petitions jump the court queue. File Monday, stand before a judge within the week.
In court, the agency must prove the exemption applies. Records are presumed open; exemptions are construed narrowly.
Substantially prevail and the agency owes your costs and reasonable attorney fees. Willful violations bring personal fines of $500–$2,000.
One zip file: the legal references, all eight letter and filing templates, the dashboard, and a plain-English guide.
Extract to your Documents folder. Open the Claude desktop app, start a session with file access (Cowork), and connect the folder. Works on Windows and Mac.
Copy the included SETUP-PROMPT.txt into Claude. It configures itself, asks your name and county, and builds your dashboard. That's the whole install.