Purgegate: Use of Outside Email Addresses May Become an Issue
This should not be surprising, but the email exchanges are going to rule this scandal. The latest is that the use of outside email address (indeed, some associated with the RNC) may have been used to conduct official business. (I don't know the extent to which this is contrary to the rules, but people seem like they are seizing on it.)
TPM:
Today, CREW sent a letter to the House's chief sleuth, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), requesting an investigation into the White House's use of outside email addresses. If it's a slippery way of avoiding keeping a record, it's potentially a violation of the Presidential Records Act. More here.ABC News:
[S]everal pages of e-mails show Justice Department officials dealing with White House political staff on the U.S. attorneys issue.This will probably open the door to discovery of some interesting communications between "[email protected]" and third parties.These include communications between Monica Goodling, the Justice Department-White House liaison and senior counselor to Gonzales, and Scott Jennings, the deputy political director at the White House.
The e-mails show that Jennings apparently used his Republican National Committee e-mail account to communicate with Justice Department officials.
. . .In a June 20, 2006 e-mail, Jennings wrote to Goodling, "I have a person from New Mexico coming to town this week — he is the President's nominee for the U.S. Postal Board of Governors. He was heavily involved in the President's campaign's legal team. His name is Mickey Barnett, and he has requested a meeting with someone at DOJ to discuss the USATTY situation there."
Responding less than two hours later, Goodling wrote, "Sure- I'm happy to do it if it involves sensitive issues. … If it's more generic resources type of conversation our [Executive Office of US Attorney] director is here this week and available."
Jennings did not use his White House e-mail account for the exchanges but rather an e-mail account from the RNC that noted his e-mail as [email protected].
Comments