Secret Service — was the Charlie Kirk memorial a National Special Security Event? Sent on to DHS headquarters, no answer yet (2026-USSSFOIA-01703)
What we asked for: Records showing whether the September 21, 2025 memorial service for Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona was named a National Special Security Event (NSSE), the top federal security rating for an event, or given a Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) level. That includes the designation decision, request, or notice, and any record naming the federal agency put in charge of security. The request did not ask for security tactics.
What we got: No records. In a "misdirected request" letter, the Secret Service said the information "is under the purview of the Department of Homeland Security - HQ" and that it forwarded the request there for processing and a direct reply. It did not say whether records exist. No reply from DHS headquarters has been found in the mail archive.
Appeal: The August 26 letter says an appeal can be filed within 90 days of that letter.
Fee waiver / faster processing: In an August 11 acknowledgment, the Secret Service denied faster (expedited) processing, calling the request "conclusory," and held the fee-waiver request until it knew how many records there were.
View the letter Download PDF, 2 pages