White House Originally Claimed RNC Emails Were Archived, Only ‘Handful’ Of Staffers Had Accounts
White House Originally Claimed RNC Emails Were Archived, Only ‘Handful’ Of Staffers Had Accounts
On March 27, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said that the RNC had been archiving all emails being sent through their accounts. Perino underscored that the archiving had not begun in response to Chairman Henry Waxman’s request to the RNC to preserve all emails, but rather “this has been something that was in place long before that.” She added, “The archiving that would have been for any of these — over the past few years, of emails that had been going back and forth between people that would have these accounts to the outside.”
When pressed on how many White House staffers use political email accounts, Perino claimed, “I think it’s a handful, I don’t think it’s a lot.” Watch it:
Yesterday, the White House acknowledged both those claims were false:
1) The White House also admitted yesterday that “archiving” was not taking place. “The White House has not done a good enough job overseeing staff using political e-mail accounts to assure compliance with the Presidential Records Act,” White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said in an unusual late-afternoon teleconference with reporters.
2) The White House acknowledged yesterday that far more than a “handful” of staffers used the political email accounts. The White House said 22 staffers have e-mail accounts issued by the Republican National Committee. “Since 2001, about 50 staffers e-mailed using the system.”
In reaction to the White House’s new admissions, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said, “This sounds like the administration’s version of the dog ate my homework. … I am deeply disturbed that just when this administration is finally subjected to meaningful oversight it cannot produce the necessary information.”
(HT: TP reader M.E.)
Q So is that traffic being safeguarded, if you will, for Congress to look at, if it decides?
MS. PERINO: With respect to presidential records, an email that is sent to or from a White House email address is automatically archived, even if the other person is not using a White House email account. I believe our — well, I know that our White House Counsel’s Office is in communication with the RNC’s general counsel to make sure that those archivings have taken place.
Q So if someone sent aide X an email at one of these political accounts, are you saying that it would be archived on the —
MS. PERINO: As a general matter, I believe that to be true, but as I said, the White House — our White House Counsel’s Office is talking to the RNC just to make sure that that’s the case. In some cases — I don’t know how far back that goes. I think that — even though that there was email use in the ’90s, I do think that our administration is the first, in a lot of cases, to be dealing with the volume of email that all of us deal with on a daily basis and that now you guys get to have fun with looking through.
Q So how’s the White House going to respond to the request for them?
MS. PERINO: As I said, our White House Counsel’s Office is talking to the RNC, and then we’ll try to get back to you.
Q Is that in response to Senator Waxman’s call?
MS. PERINO: The archiving?
Q The archiving, yes.
MS. PERINO: No, this has been something that was in place long before that.
Q So it’s automatic?
MS. PERINO: Let me get back to you in terms of dates and how far it goes back and for which individuals.
Q I’m not sure I understand. The White House Counsel has asked the RNC to make sure which emails are archived?
MS. PERINO: Well, I took your question to be — I took your question just a second ago to be that we all knew — started archiving once Waxman made a request; that’s not true.
Q That’s not true?
MS. PERINO: No.
Q No, no, no. But you said that Attorney Fielding is in contact with the RNC to ensure — to make sure some archiving took place. What archiving is that? I’m sorry.
MS. PERINO: The archiving that would have been for any of these — over the past few years, of emails that had been going back and forth between people that would have these accounts to the outside.
Q How many people have those accounts?
MS. PERINO: I think it’s a handful, I don’t think it’s a lot. Obviously, the Office of Political Affairs, because they straddle these — both worlds. I know I don’t have one.
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61 Responses to “White House Originally Claimed RNC Emails Were Archived, Only ‘Handful’ Of Staffers Had Accounts”
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For the latest news, email archives, hearings, legal filings and other essential documents on the Bush DOJ prosecutor firings, see:
April 12th, 2007 at 11:38 am“The U.S. Attorney Scandal Documents.”
Mr. Leahy, Go F Yourself!. If you got something on the GOP, then show your cards!. If you think Nixon was so bad, then how do you explain all the out pouring of grief when he died?.
April 12th, 2007 at 11:40 amYou mean a White House spokeswoman is a liar???
Say it isn’t so!
Safe assumption: Everything they say is a lie.
April 12th, 2007 at 11:41 amThere are so many layers of lies in the Bush White House that it’s hard to sort out all the baloney from the facts.
April 12th, 2007 at 11:41 amPoor poor Dana Perino
I guess they didn’t think she could lie convincingly enough if they told her the truth….
April 12th, 2007 at 11:43 amBecause is died. Only republicans will kick a man when he’s dead. Can you say “RESPECT for the dead” RealRedneck??
April 12th, 2007 at 11:47 amPure genius propping up Perino before the press. She’s very Chauncey Gardner-ish, in a sex kitten sort of way.
April 12th, 2007 at 11:48 amMore arrogance, incompetence, dishohesty, and criminal activity from the worst administration in the glorious history of the United States of America. The Grand Ole Pedophiles must be proud.
April 12th, 2007 at 11:50 amFunny, I remember Ken Starr confiscating Monica Lewinsky’s computer where they got all the emails between she and Linda Tripp off the hard drive. It seems odd to me that these (Republican) emails have gone missing yet they can’t be retrieved off the White House computer hard drives. If they cant be retrieved, they obviously spent a great deal of time making sure they couldn’t be retrieved. ITMFA!
April 12th, 2007 at 11:50 am#1- AG Gonzalez told congress, I know none of these firings were political’
#2- These firings were discussed on the “purely for political activity” RNC mail servers.
Therefore, the AG lied to congress.
April 12th, 2007 at 11:51 amyou know that feeling when you realize you accidentally stepped in a steaming pile of gog sh!t… yeah Dana must feel that every morning.
she should have stayed off the grass.
April 12th, 2007 at 11:54 amrnc.org gets its email through smartechcorp.net which is running postfix.
It may not be archiving mail, but they may have backups.
Waxman should send a subpoena to smartechcorp.net
rnc.org. 35 IN A 64.203.98.129
rnc.org. 90335 IN NS ns1.cha.smartechcorp.net.
rnc.org. 90335 IN NS a.ns.trespassers-w.net.
ns1.cha.smartechcorp.net. 212958 IN A 64.203.96.130
a.ns.trespassers-w.net. 40733 IN A 209.61.172.168
rnc.org. 4600 IN MX 10 mailscan1.smartechcorp.net.
April 12th, 2007 at 11:55 amrnc.org. 4600 IN MX 10 mailscan2.smartechcorp.net.
Laws are for the people, not the deciderdictator and his posse.
April 12th, 2007 at 11:56 amComment by Boz — April 12, 2007 @ 11:51 am
Nice catch 22 Boz. h/t
April 12th, 2007 at 11:56 am“If you think Nixon was so bad, then how do you explain all the out pouring of grief when he died?.” - - That wasn’t grief; it was a last lament for a life gone lame. (I’ve warned you guys before about me using that literary device.)
April 12th, 2007 at 11:56 amWe laugh at being lied to because it is done by a blonde bimbo, a witless cancer patient, or a pudgy brown-noser.
How “advanced” are we that we find humor in death. Not in our own death, mind you, but rather in the death that we have caused and sanctioned upon millions of innocents.
Laugh it up.
How advanced indeed.
April 12th, 2007 at 11:57 amYou mean a White House spokeswoman is a liar???
But she’s blonde and pretty so that makes it OK
April 12th, 2007 at 11:57 amBadmoodman - I can’t help but notice your attraction to her. I don’t blame you but, too bad she’s just another Bush admin liar eh?
I agree that it was a good ploy on their part to put her out there. The so-called press corps probably has mixed feelings about asking her difficult questions.
April 12th, 2007 at 11:58 amWill that ever liberal media pick up on the White House getting caught in two out right lies?
I hope jerry is doing more than just blogging.
April 12th, 2007 at 11:58 amgwb43.com, rnc.org get mail sent to them via smartechcorp.net. Those are the servers to seize.
April 12th, 2007 at 11:59 amJeez…Perino can’t even get her facts together.
April 12th, 2007 at 11:59 amNote to WhiteHouse SpokesWoman: Thrill us, will you? Just flash everyone your t*ts! _Show_ us some truth, for a change.
ITMFAs now!!!
April 12th, 2007 at 12:02 pmMr. Leahy, Go F Yourself!. If you got something on the GOP, then show your cards!. If you think Nixon was so bad, then how do you explain all the out pouring of grief when he died?.
Comment by Real RedNeck
Actually no. A real redneck would want the truth to come out and those resposible for the laws being broken to be held accountable. A real redneck would want THE COUNTRY to win this war - not your beloved repubs. A real redneck would not be smelling the back end of the current squatter in our white house. A real redneck would be patriotic and loyal to the consitution - and not your beloved repubs. No sir. You are not a real redneck - not even a real american. Just a member of the
April 12th, 2007 at 12:03 pmSomebody told Karl Rove to replace the hard drives on the White House PCs, because that is the only way to completely get rid of internal emails.
The hard drive has a hidden cache basin that stores everything, so the only way to get rid of the stuff is to remove the old hard drive, destroy it, and replace it with a new one.
This is proof the White House is obstructing justice by destroying evidence.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:04 pmIf you think Nixon was so bad, then how do you explain all the out pouring of grief when he died?.
Comment by Real RedNeck — April 12, 2007 @ 11:40 am
What are you smoking?
April 12th, 2007 at 12:04 pmDid u know RNC issues special keyboards …
http://blogmebig.eponym.com/blog/humour
in ur face ….
April 12th, 2007 at 12:04 pmMr. Leahy, Go F Yourself!. If you got something on the GOP, then show your cards!. If you think Nixon was so bad, then how do you explain all the out pouring of grief when he died?.
I would give anything to have Nixon is the White House today. Bush and the PNAC boys have a plan and they will continue with it until they’re stopped. Take a look at this interview. People need to get a clue.
http://video.google.ca/ videoplay?docid=1263677258215075609&q=aaron+russo+interview
April 12th, 2007 at 12:06 pmJeez, the redneck repuke trolls are out in force today. Maybe they get paid for their trolling tomorrow. Then they’ll all be drunk.
These are the 30%ers who stuck by Nixon to the end and mourned his death. Nixon was the worst President until Chimpy came along.
Fortunately, the rest of America has had enough with these whackos and they are going to be marginalized again where they belong.
Go back under your bridge, trolls. Maybe we will get lucky and the insurgents will blow it up with you under it.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:08 pmJeez…Perino can’t even get her facts together.
Comment by Karim — April 12, 2007 @ 11:59 am
She probably never gets the “facts” just the spin. And like our idiot trolls, she believes what they tell her.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:09 pm“I think it’s a handful, I don’t think it’s a lot.â€
Well, if a republican thinks it or doesn’t think it, then it must be true…
April 12th, 2007 at 12:10 pmComment by JesusChrist_GodofWAR — April 12, 2007 @ 12:02 pm
Those are probably fake too, like everything else coming out of the White House.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:10 pmWhat sort of backward’s ass no brain stump thumpin question is that? You must be a real dumb red neck.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:10 pmBut Dana Perino is so…. pretty. How could she lie?
April 12th, 2007 at 12:13 pmReal Redneck
Another demonstration of your intelligence?
Try looking up Sam Ervin and see what part he played in the Nixon scenario.
That’s what a REAL Redneck looks like.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:15 pm[…] Watch Video […]
April 12th, 2007 at 12:15 pmPerino looks like a Stepford republican.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:16 pm“I DON’T THINK………….., it’s a lot”
April 12th, 2007 at 12:16 pmWhat kind of way is that to talk realredneck? You sound like another one of them Lahaye wackos like that hater V V who is too chicken to go to Iraq and actually support his administration of corruption.
Why is it that you have seen so much corruption in this administration yet still support it? Abramoff, Delay, Foley, Cunningham, Safavian, Pombo, Santorum etc etc etc. And we have Gonzales lying under oath? Lies about yellow cake, about WMD, about mushroom clouds, aluminium tubes…it goes on and one.
What kind of conservatism is that? Why do you support such a crooked form of governance? Billions missing in Iraq, Billions more missing due to corruption in Iraq, tainted water and bad food served to our troops, overcharging, stealing your taxpayer dollars, lack of armor for our troops, lack of medical care for our troops?
Are you nuts?
April 12th, 2007 at 12:17 pmReal Redneck is just showing what an inbred, idiotic, white trash piece of crap he is. He is too stupid to see the facts and blindly supports the failed policy of Chimpy and the Repukes. What a loser.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:17 pmPlease let all missing e-mails be found intact .
These a-holes would go down in flames.
T-Blossom would become Karl’s name as a rap artist.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:17 pmTry looking up Sam Ervin and see what part he played in the Nixon scenario.
That’s what a REAL Redneck looks like.
Comment by Dogjudge — April 12, 2007 @ 12:15 pm
When I was a kid (11, maybe,) I met Sam Ervin (and got his autograph) at a dinner my parents took me to. He might have been a good ‘ol boy, but he was no redneck. He’s been one of my heroes for a long time.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:20 pmThis is a scandal with major ramifications. What Boz pointed out above needs to be investigated.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:22 pmIf I called Dana a Helmet Headed Ho would I be fired ?
April 12th, 2007 at 12:24 pmIf you think Nixon was so bad, then how do you explain all the out pouring of grief when he died?.
Comment by Real RedNeck — April 12, 2007 @ 11:40 am
If you think Nixon was so good, then why were you and all the other Nixon supporters crying into your koolaid for the next 20 years after your hero resigned in utter disgrace knowing that he surely would be impeached and convicted if he didn’t?
Tough talk, loser, but you’re crying inside now, and the hurt is just gonna get worse as the coming weeks roll by.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:25 pmI find it curious that Dana Perino, who became a spokeswoman for the Dept. of Justice shortly after Sept. 11, has such a hard time accurately explaining what’s going on with the States Attorneys General purge and elsewhere. She generally seems robotic. Do you think Dana uses a teleprompter or one of those gizmos Lil’ Georgie was allegedly wearing during his debate w/Kerry?
AF
Malkin and her ilk have grown both fat and crafty suckling at the teat of Rove.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:27 pmThe lost those emails they had been sending back and forth to terror groups, thats why the didn’t want anyone to know!
We all know Karl has been emailng Muqtada Al Sadr planning a date where they can liplock and slather crude oil on one another in the back room of the Blue Oyster!
April 12th, 2007 at 12:28 pmDana does have quite a hair helmet. I bet she laquers it down with lots of Alberto VO5 hairspray.
Alberto VO5 - only his hairdresser knows for sure.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:28 pmIf you think Nixon was so bad, then how do you explain all the out pouring of grief when he died? Comment by Real RedNeck
That wasn’t grief ya silly sheep sucking simpleton sap, them was tears of relief causer when tricky Dick died so did many corrupt and terrible secrets!
April 12th, 2007 at 12:32 pmLooks like she’s got a suit of chain mail on……….
April 12th, 2007 at 12:34 pm#40
Ann,
I got to meet Senator Ervin when I was at Pope Air Force Base. This was just before the Nixon hearings. Total social affair that I got to attend because my wife was in to riding.
When I got out of the Air Force and saw him chair the hearings I was tremendously impressed and remain that way until this day.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:36 pmthose chains on her dress are CDs of the emails with the centers cut out.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:47 pmThey have had way to much time to cover they butts on this one, they have surely been destroying evidence as fast as possible and practicing they lines for the investigation to get their stories straight. And just the fact that A$$hats like Jake the Joke, dumb as a post Redneck, VVictive moron support this criminals just shows what the morals and ethics of America has come to.
Hating all repukes daily…tata4now.
April 12th, 2007 at 1:13 pm[…] MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE WHITE HOUSE: Dana Perino assures the press corps no emails have been deleted. h/t ThinkProgress again. […]
April 12th, 2007 at 1:36 pm[…] press briefing, the White House press corps confronted spokeswoman Dana Perino about her previous mistatements regarding the White House’s use of RNC email accounts. On March 27, Perino claimed that there […]
April 12th, 2007 at 3:20 pm[…] press briefing, the White House press corps confronted spokeswoman Dana Perino about her previous misstatements regarding the White House’s use of RNC email accounts. On March 27, Perino claimed that there […]
April 12th, 2007 at 8:00 pmYou can’t hold email addresses in your hand. What a crock of shit.
April 12th, 2007 at 9:29 pmYou know, I didn’t think there were any groups left that the Bush administration *hadn’t* offended, but I have to hand it to them, they found one more.
They’ve now pissed off the entire IT industry.
Everyone else in the United States is following these laws. I manage a very large email system and you had better believe that we archive everything. And they are going to claim that with the resources of the entire US Government they can’t do the same? Please. Tell me another one.
Data doesn’t disappear. There are easily 200 highly technical networking and data analysis people that I know that are so mad about this, they can get all the manpower and consulting they need for free. I realize that to the Bush Administration we don’t matter; to them we’re just another geek group of unimportant voters, but another group of more focused, resourceful and logical people you will not find. Bush, Cheney, Rice, and Rove chose the wrong group to intellectually insult.
Pissing of the IT people may have just been the worst mistake he will ever make. And yes, I’ve already emailed my Senator to let him know that. My State Representative, Governor, local newspaper and hell, my city Mayor will be pestered until they cough up every drive, cell phone and handheld for review. With a cup of coffee, some network cables and a handy little script, I could dump them with just a few friends. Don’t tell me they can’t do it easily with the resources they have. The problem is, that as usual, they don’t want to follow the same laws everyone else does.
April 12th, 2007 at 10:26 pmTHE STORY CHANGES FROM DAY TO DAY, FROM HOUR TO HOUR, MINUTE TO MINUTE, SECOND TO SECOND, EH, Perino, YOU EMPTY-AIRHEADED SKANK!!!!!
April 12th, 2007 at 10:32 pmHow many wheels have to fall off this wagon before it comes to a screeching halt?
April 12th, 2007 at 10:41 pmI found this on Patrick Leahy’s site. This is a letter they sent to counsel. So they are going to have every single email filtered through an attorney? Um, what? If you are so dancing so close to the edge of the law that you have to have a lawyer look at every email you send, you are too corrupt. And who is paying for lawyers to sit around and decide if their email should be saved or not? More importantly, why isn’t that server being archived to begin with? Are we paying lawyers to examine Republic Party email? I would hope not.
I’ve snipped the relevant part, you can find the rest on the Senator’s site:
__________________________
We are troubled to learn through the press that the White House cannot account for the e-mails of almost two dozen people at the White House, including some the Senate Judiciary has asked to question in connection with our ongoing investigation. Apparently these officials utilized e-mail accounts, addresses and equipment provided by the Republican National Committee and political campaigns to communicate about the plan to replace a number of United States Attorneys.
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel reportedly stated, “[t]he White House has not at this point done a good enough job at overseeing the practices of staff with political e-mail accounts,” and confirmed that “[s]ome officials’ e-mails have potentially been lost and that is a mistake that the White House is aggressively working to fix.”
The second official who was cited, a White House lawyer who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the press at a briefing that White House staff is now being advised that if they question whether an e-mail is political or official, the staff should use their private accounts, but also preserve a copy to be sent to White House lawyers for a determination of whether the e-mail needs to be saved under the Presidential Records Act.
_________________________________
April 12th, 2007 at 11:35 pmAm I the only one that is wondering if I’m paying for these lawyers ? Because if I am, I shouldn’t have to be. They should just archive the whole box!
[…] of course they do. Watch Cuppacino Perino deny everything, including signs of her own brain […]
March 24th, 2008 at 2:02 pm