White House Can't Say If Lost E-Mails Include Firings

[Guest]

. . . .

 

[cloudy]

*sigh*

 

[3113]

Can't we just send in police with a warrent and confiscate the computers?

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Can't we just send in police with a warrent and confiscate the computers?

Sorry but they were all just replaced. The old ones were destroyed for security purposes.

 

[rgraham666]

To the White House:

You must not only do the good thing you must be seen to do the good thing.

Why is it the people who most often run on 'family values' mean 'Mafia family values'?

 

[Huckleman2000]

Can't we just send in police with a warrent and confiscate the computers?

One would think so, but there would have to be probable cause for a crime. Of course, circumventing White House archival processes to conduct official government business is against the law, and setting up a whole email system to do so is arguably Conspiracy, and maybe Racketeering (RICO) if you take it to the level of the Republican National Committee...

maybe we could hire RRichard to do it!

 

[3113]

Why is it the people who most often run on 'family values' mean 'Mafia family values'?

You are impuning dat there is something not so good with Mafia Family Values. This hurts my feelings. It makes me thnk that you do not have the proper respect for certain members of this forum and their values.

I and my associates think that you should reconsider this

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

As I recall, this "lost" ploy didn't work for Nixon either.

 

[Guest]

. . . .

 

[shereads]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aD2_5CGyrP9o&refer=home

White House Can't Say If Lost E-Mails Include Firings

By James Rowley and Catherine Dodge

April 12 (Bloomberg) -- A presidential spokesman acknowledged that some lost White House e-mails might pertain to the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, as Congress stepped up demands the Bush administration preserve electronic records.

It ``can't be ruled out'' that some of the e-mails involved the firings, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel told reporters. The administration will ``take all reasonable steps'' to retrieve any lost messages and will ``certainly ensure that it doesn't happen again,'' he said.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy said he doubts the e-mails are lost. ``I don't believe that,'' the Vermont Democrat said. ``Those e-mails are there. They just don't want to produce them. It reminds me of the infamous 18-minute gap in the Nixon White House tapes,'' he said, referring to recordings produced during the Watergate scandal.

As many as 50 White House officials have used Republican National Committee e-mail accounts to send messages during President George W. Bush's six years in office, California Representative Henry Waxman said today.

Waxman attributed the number to Rob Kelner, the Republican National Committee counsel who he said has told House investigators that the oldest records still on party computer servers date from 2004. Waxman is the Democrat chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

`Extensive Volume'

``An extensive volume of White House e-mails regarding official government actions may have been destroyed by the RNC and not preserved by the White House,'' Waxman wrote to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Separately, the House Judiciary Committee asked the Republican Party committee to turn over e-mails from its computer servers dealing with the firings.

White House officials disclosed yesterday that some e-mails may have been lost after they were sent through accounts set up by the Republican National Committee. The White House said the accounts are now used by 22 administration officials -- most in the office of political affairs -- when they feel it necessary to contact political organizations. It is illegal to use government resources for political purposes.

``We screwed up and we're trying to fix it,'' White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters today. Henceforth, the White House will preserve all e-mails sent through the RNC account. The White House is working with party officials to try to retrieve the missing e-mails.

Lost E-Mails

Presidential aides made the discovery about the lost e-mails after searching for documents sought by Leahy's committee, she said.

Waxman wrote that Kelner told investigators that the Republican National Committee doesn't have e-mail records for 15 White House officials who had these accounts during Bush's presidency.

Kelner said there are no e-mails predating 2005 for Karl Rove, Bush's top political adviser, Waxman wrote.

Stanzel said today that the White House should have had a clearer policy regarding the private accounts, and those using the accounts ``could have done a better job of coming to the counsel's office'' with questions.

Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee by voice vote today authorized Leahy to issue subpoenas for more Justice Department documents and testimony by administration officials. Democrats say the documents may explain why some prosecutors were fired and others slated for dismissal weren't.

Compelled Testimony

The panel also empowered Leahy to compel the testimony of another member of Bush's staff, J. Scott Jennings, deputy White House political director. Senators also authorized a subpoena for the testimony of William Moschella, a top Justice Department official.

``We have asked for a number of documents we have not received,'' Leahy said at the committee meeting in Washington.

Leahy has yet to issue any subpoenas that the panel previously authorized. The committee is investigating whether the firings were orchestrated by the White House for improper purposes, such as to spur investigations of Democrats or stall prosecutions of Republicans. These include subpoenas for Rove's testimony and internal White House documents.

The House Judiciary Committee two days ago issued a subpoena to force the Justice Department to turn over uncensored versions of documents that have been given to Congress.

Charles E. Schumer, a New York Democrat leading the Senate inquiry, said uncensored documents are needed to question Justice Department officials. Officials who have been interviewed by House and Senate investigators have declined to discuss information blacked out from documents turned over to Congress, he said.

Rove's Role

Schumer also said Gonzales should say what role if any Rove played in the firings when Gonzales testifies before the Judiciary Committee next week. In a letter to Gonzales, Schumer said he wants to know ``whether Mr. Rove ever expressed the view that a particular U.S. attorney should be removed from office.''

``Were people fired explicitly for political reasons because they wouldn't pursue political cases?'' Schumer told reporters.

Michael Elston, chief of staff to Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, and William Mercer, the acting associate attorney general, have been questioned privately. Michael Battle, former head of the Justice Department office that oversees U.S. attorneys, is scheduled to be questioned today. Kyle Sampson, Gonzales's former chief of staff who testified March 29, is due to be questioned tomorrow behind closed doors.

Bush has refused to allow his aides to testify under oath and proposed that they be questioned privately without a transcript. Leahy has said he is in no hurry to force the issue to a head by serving subpoenas while the panel is questioning Justice Department officials.

E-Mails From Aides

The White House has also offered to provide copies of e- mails Bush aides traded with Justice Department officials and others. But the president has refused to turn over internal White House memos, saying he must preserve the confidentiality of advice given to him by aides.

Besides Rove, the Senate Judiciary Committee also wants to question former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and her deputy, William Kelley, and White House political director Sara Taylor. Republicans delayed for a week a committee vote on adding Taylor to the list of presidential aides who could be subpoenaed by the panel.

To contact the reporter on this story: James Rowley in Washington at jarowley@bloomberg.net


Anyone surprised by this?

Oops!

 

[oggbashan]

Bring back Oliver North and Fern Hall.

Someone has to take the rap.

Og

 

[S-Des]

Bring back Oliver North and Fern Hall.

Someone has to take the rap.

Og

That's Fawn Hall...*snicker* I only remember because she was really hawt!!!


This latest debacle is just an attempt at misdirection. The Bush administration is trying to hide the fact that they are all geniuses (unfortunately, they seem to be hiding it extremely well...perhaps they need a new tactic).

 

[Guest]

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[S-Des]

Sorry, Des.

The term "genius" and "Bush" in the same sentence just elicited a coffee spew.

Stop saying stuff like that in the morning!!!

I did it just for you.


I have to admit, I saw it mentioned in the paper and thought, "Oh great...here's fodder for the political threads." Seriously, that man is just bound and determined to look bad.

 

[Guest]

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[Guest]

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