Gina Goldblatt – State Department Profile | Covenant for Forgotten Warriors

Gina Goldblatt

Supervisory Government Information Specialist, Office of Information Programs and Services (IPS)
U.S. Department of State

Current Position

Gina Goldblatt serves as a Supervisory Government Information Specialist within the U.S. Department of State’s Information Programs and Services (IPS) office. As a GS-14, Step 5 federal employee, she holds significant responsibility for overseeing FOIA operations and managing subordinate FOIA officers, including ensuring compliance with federal transparency laws.

Compensation Information (2023)

Category	Amount
Base Salary	$141,216
Bonus & Incentives	$8,800
Total Compensation	$150,016

At the GS-14, Step 5 level, Ms. Goldblatt’s position represents senior-level federal employment, placing her in approximately the top 7% of all federal civilian employees by pay grade. This compensation level reflects the expectation of expert-level knowledge, sound judgment, and strict adherence to federal regulations governing information management and public transparency.

⚠ Documented FOIA Compliance Failures

Improper FOIA Closure – Sgt. Kelvin Blas Case

In direct violation of FOIA procedures, Ms. Goldblatt improperly closed a FOIA request seeking Embassy Lomé consular records regarding Sgt. Kelvin Blas without:

Any communication with the requester
Providing responsive records
Issuing a formal “no records” determination
Explaining the basis for closure
Notifying the requester of referral to another component
Offering opportunity to narrow or clarify the request

Original FOIA Request Details:

Subject: FOIA Request – Embassy Lomé Consular Section Records re: Sgt Kelvin Blas (March, 2020–Present)

Records Sought:

Duty logs, emails, cables, memos, consular notes, and call records
Consular welfare and whereabouts inquiries
Internal communications among consular staff
Correspondence with the Department of State in Washington
Records of coordination with Department of Defense or Department of Veterans Affairs

Time Period: March 1, 2020 to present

Processing Action: Silently closed with zero requester contact or explanation

Legal Violations

Under 5 U.S.C. § 552 and Department of State regulations, FOIA officers must:

Conduct reasonable searches for responsive records
Provide written determinations explaining the basis for withholding or “no records” findings
Communicate with requesters throughout the process
Inform requesters of their appeal rights

Ms. Goldblatt did none of these. The silent closure of this FOIA request represents a willful circumvention of federal transparency requirements and denies the requester their statutory right to administrative appeal.

Supervisory Failure and Systemic Non-Compliance

As a Supervisory Government Information Specialist, Ms. Goldblatt bears responsibility for ensuring FOIA compliance not only in her own work but also among the staff she oversees. Significantly, she serves as the direct supervisor of Susan Weetman, another Government Information Specialist with documented patterns of FOIA deadline violations and procedural non-compliance.

The problem is systemic: When the supervisor charged with ensuring compliance is herself violating FOIA procedures, it indicates institutional failure rather than isolated incidents. Ms. Goldblatt’s dual role as both:

Direct violator (improperly closing FOIAs), and
Failed supervisor (allowing subordinates to violate deadlines and procedures)

…demonstrates a collapse of oversight mechanisms within the State Department’s FOIA operations.

This pattern suggests either willful obstruction of transparency requirements or gross negligence in supervisory duties—neither of which is acceptable at the GS-14 level with compensation exceeding $150,000 annually.

Professional Role and Responsibilities

Government Information Specialists at the supervisory level are responsible for managing the federal government’s obligations under the Freedom of Information Act. This includes:

FOIA Processing Oversight: Supervising the review, redaction, and release of government records in response to public requests
Compliance Management: Ensuring adherence to statutory deadlines (20 business days for initial determinations)
Staff Supervision: Managing and training subordinate FOIA officers to ensure proper procedures
Quality Control: Reviewing determinations for legal sufficiency and procedural correctness
Records Management: Maintaining systematic processes for tracking and responding to FOIA requests
Classification Review: Coordinating with classification authorities on sensitive documents
Institutional Coordination: Working with other State Department bureaus and external agencies

State Department Context

Within the State Department’s Information Programs and Services (IPS) office, supervisory-level officials like Ms. Goldblatt serve as mid-level managers responsible for operational FOIA compliance. The IPS office handles thousands of FOIA requests annually related to diplomatic communications, consular services, visa operations, and policy development.

The position requires balancing transparency obligations with legitimate national security and privacy concerns. However, silent closure of requests and supervisory failure to enforce basic compliance standards represents a fundamental breach of public trust and statutory duty.

Career Background

Federal payroll records indicate Ms. Goldblatt has served in her current position from at least 2021 through 2023, maintaining the GS-14, Step 5 grade throughout this period. Her tenure includes oversight of FOIA operations during a period of documented compliance failures by staff under her supervision.

Federal Employment Context

The General Schedule (GS) pay system is the predominant pay scale for federal civilian employees. The GS-14 level represents senior professional and supervisory positions requiring:

Advanced specialized knowledge
Significant supervisory responsibility
Independent judgment on complex matters
Expert-level technical competency

At Step 5 of the GS-14 scale, employees are considered fully experienced in their roles with several years of demonstrated performance. The compensation at this level carries with it heightened expectations for regulatory compliance, ethical conduct, and supervisory excellence.

Professional Standards and Accountability

Federal employees at the GS-14 supervisory level are expected to:

Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of applicable laws and regulations
Maintain high ethical standards and transparency in government operations
Supervise staff effectively to ensure organizational compliance
Exercise sound judgment in complex situations
Uphold the public trust inherent in federal service

The documented violations detailed above represent failures across all of these dimensions.

Public Service Impact

Government Information Specialists play a crucial role in maintaining democratic accountability by ensuring public access to government records. When supervisory-level officials fail to uphold FOIA obligations—particularly through improper closures and oversight failures—it undermines:

Government transparency and accountability
Public trust in federal institutions
The statutory rights of FOIA requesters
Democratic principles of open government

In cases involving abandoned veterans like Sgt. Kelvin Blas, such failures have direct human consequences beyond abstract principles of transparency.

Institutional Context and Systemic Concerns

The pattern of FOIA violations by both Ms. Goldblatt and her subordinates raises serious questions about:

Adequacy of State Department FOIA training and oversight
Whether violations are isolated or reflect institutional policy
Effectiveness of internal accountability mechanisms
Potential need for Office of Inspector General review
Congressional oversight of State Department transparency compliance

Note: This profile is based on publicly available information including federal payroll records (FederalPay.org), official FOIA correspondence, and documentation of request processing failures. Ms. Goldblatt’s role as a supervisory federal employee, combined with documented compliance failures, makes this information a matter of public interest and legitimate public scrutiny under principles of government accountability.

The information presented here serves the public interest by documenting systemic failures in government transparency obligations and identifying officials responsible for ensuring compliance with federal law.

Related Resources

A Note on Accountability

This profile documents publicly available information and official government correspondence. Carlos A. Hernandez is a federal employee whose actions directly affect the welfare of American citizens abroad. Therefore, transparency about his handling of this case serves the public interest.

If you are a State Department employee with information about case OCS2025008939 or the handling of Sgt. Kelvin Blas’s situation, please preserve all relevant records. You may contact CFW confidentially at [email protected].

Truth Has No Borders™

Accountability Has No Borders™