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Judge demands answers on White House’s missing e-mails.

A federal judge today ordered the White House “to reveal whether copies of possibly millions of missing e-mails are stored on computer backup tapes.” The AP reports:

Facciola gave the White House five business days to report whether computer backup tapes contain e-mails written between 2003 and 2005.

The time period covers the Valerie Plame affair in which at least three presidential aides were found to have leaked Plame’s CIA identity to the news media.

“Do the back-ups contain the e-mails said to be missing?” Facciola asked.

In a four-page order, Facciola said he needs to know “if the missing e-mails are not on those back-ups.”

Facciola noted the importance of acting quickly since e-mails that might be retrievable from individual computer workstations in the White House “are increasingly likely to be deleted or overwritten with the passage of time.”

CREW has more on the judge’s order.




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66 Responses to “Judge demands answers on White House’s missing e-mails.”

  1. ForTruth Says:

    I demand answers regarding Jeff Gannon's visits to the White House!


  2. robbez_92107 Says:

    Accountability from the Bushies? Don't hold your breath, Judge Facciola!


  3. Starve-A-Bush_Feed-A-Beaver Says:

    If those computer back-up tapes existed this morning, they probably don't exist now. I imagine several lit cigars tossed nonchalantly into wastebaskets where those pesky back-up tapes happened to wander did the trick.


  4. Peter C Says:

    From the article:
    "In asking that the complaints be dismissed, the Bush administration says the president's record keeping practices under the Presidential Records Act are not reviewable by the courts."

    The White House says they can't produce the records stipulated by the act, but that their practices are not reviewable by the judicial branch???? WHY????

    This seems pretty basic to me. Congress writes the laws, the president signs and implements the laws and the courts review the goverment's performance under the laws, right???

    All except this bit???


  5. missmolly Says:

    Facciola noted the importance of acting quickly since e-mails that might be retrievable from individual computer workstations in the White House “are increasingly likely to be deleted or overwritten with the passage of time.”

    ----------------------------------------------

    Um...yeah. This is why the White House can't comply with the order until the deletion/overwriting procedure is complete.


  6. StratRat Says:

    Maybe the dog ate their homework...


  7. Bob Says:

    Good luck with that, Judge. Where have you been? Haven't you heard this WH thinks they're above the law? You've just given them five business days to say, "Executive Privilage".


  8. RUCerious Says:

    BushitCo reply:

    Go Facciola yourself.


  9. williamf Says:

    This judge will have to be strong and courageous. The White House will delay and politicize this thing all the way. The players in the White House and those who have since departed that took part in the sliming of Plame' will do everything they can to stone wall the actions of the judicial branch. The White House should be in contempt of court on this matter and those not responding should be arrested and brought before the judge.


  10. Namtillaku Says:

    Facciola noted the importance of acting quickly since e-mails that might be retrievable from individual computer workstations in the White House “are increasingly likely to be deleted or overwritten with the passage of time.”

    Um, considering this deleting was first known months ago (what, 6 months, a year?), they've had all the time in the world to do whatever they want with them. This should have been acted upon the moment it was found out.


  11. rocks911 Says:

    Damn activist judges!

    All power rests with the unitary executive!


  12. shoeless Says:

    A Bush administration spokesperson replied, "Ah ha ha ha!"


  13. StratRat Says:

    This judge will have to be strong and courageous.

    Comment by williamf

    How about sending some U.S. Marshalls over to the WH to collect them. That is a simple solution to this rather simple task.


  14. RUCerious Says:

    How about sending some U.S. Marshalls over to the WH to collect them.

    How about Chuck Norris?


  15. shoeless Says:

    I demand answers regarding Jeff Gannon’s visits to the White House!

    Comment by ForTruth

    Except those late night visits to Karl Rove. I don't any of us want to know about those.


  16. freeman Says:

    Missing e mails , destroyed torture porn , secret government with secret reasons for the deaths of a million Iraqi citizens and 4000 American GI's ................... waaaa laaaaaa ...............secret democracy .


  17. RUCerious Says:

    Tomorrow morning's head line:

    Low level IT geek fired for misplacing backup tapes...


  18. katy Says:

    How about sending some U.S. Marshalls over to the WH ...
    How about Chuck Norris?
    Comment by RUCerious — January 8, 2008 @ 3:45 pm

    ha! i was just thinking "texas rangers" - their "jurisdiction is where-
    ever they happen to be"...


  19. shoeless Says:

    How about sending some U.S. Marshalls over to the WH to collect them.

    How about Chuck Norris?

    Comment by RUCerious

    No, he's too busy sandwiching Huckabee between himself and his blond bimbo wife.


  20. Ms_Joanne Says:

    Shoeless, no, that's Larry Craig and his wife. ;-)


  21. Jason M. Hendler Says:

    Ugh, now we have Obama girl vs. Giulianni girl in a video. How ironic that I was just thinking that the only thing this election cycle is missing is the Dancing Itos.


  22. RUCerious Says:

    No, he’s too busy sandwiching Huckabee between himself and his blond bimbo wife.

    Comment by shoeless — January 8, 2008 @ 3:48 pm

    Just had to go look at Chuckie's web site. Under his biography, not one mention of getting married, or wife. Nada Zip...


  23. robbez_92107 Says:

    Comment by Ms_Joanne — January 8, 2008 @ 3:52 pm

    That's not Larry Craig's wife - that's a BEARD!


  24. ForTruth Says:

    Cheney doesn't want anyone to find his snuff-tape collection.


  25. Menehune Says:

    Facciola gave the White House five business days to report whether computer backup tapes contain e-mails written between 2003 and 2005.

    Five days later: Crickets chirping.


  26. LividLib Says:

    BushitCo reply:

    Go Facciola yourself.

    Comment by RUCerious — January 8, 2008 @ 3:41 pm

    beat me too it!


  27. freeman Says:

    Secret evidence , in secret prisons .
    Secretive administration officials , secretly collecting secret info on certain secret citizens who secretly conspire to reveal what isn't any longer secret .
    Oh bring back the days of presidential secretions !!!


  28. LividLib Says:

    correction - beat me TO it!


  29. StratRat Says:

    Five days later: Crickets chirping.

    Comment by Menehune\

    ...and six days later - subpoenas! Cha Cha Cha!


  30. RUCerious Says:

    The datas there if they want it, but I’m betting Bush had them delete the backups.

    Comment by BARTLEBEE — January 8, 2008 @ 4:02 pm

    Last famous words:

    Quick, shred those emails!


  31. Uncle Ho Says:

    comment by rocks 911 @ 3:42 pm

    I hope you were being sarcastic on that.


  32. hellinabucket Says:

    I smell smoke.


  33. shoeless Says:

    Just had to go look at Chuckie’s web site. Under his biography, not one mention of getting married, or wife. Nada Zip…

    Comment by RUCerious

    Oh, I just assumed that was Norris' wife on the other side of Huckabee. Maybe it's just some hussy they are having sex with.


  34. RUCerious Says:

    I smell smoke.

    Comment by hellinabucket — January 8, 2008 @ 4:09 pm

    I think I may see a gun...


  35. RUCerious Says:

    I’m betting Bush had them delete the backups.

    Comment by BARTLEBEE — January 8, 2008 @ 4:04 pm

    There's a bet I wouldn't take on a bet!


  36. LividLib Says:

    If they are not, then someone manually deleted them, then they broke the law.

    Comment by BARTLEBEE — January 8, 2008 @ 4:06 pm

    no, it was an accident.
    an honest mistake.
    no, really!
    it won't happen again.
    they promise.


  37. RUCerious Says:

    Ooops, I meant I wouldn't bet AGAINST that, Bartles...


  38. CitiDC Says:

    The Vice President's Office burned down for a reason, DAMMIT!


  39. Menehune Says:

    …and six days later - subpoenas! Cha Cha Cha!

    Stratrat...I wish I had your faith! My faith that any of these crooks will ever be brought to justice has long since been buried under a pile of sternly worded letters.


  40. StratRat Says:

    Stratrat…I wish I had your faith! My faith that any of these crooks will ever be brought to justice has long since been buried under a pile of sternly worded letters.

    Comment by Menehune

    I know. That's why I threw in the dance steps (cha, cha, cha). The Bush adminstration will dance their time away - waiting for 1/20/2009.


  41. rocks911 Says:

    Uncle Ho,

    Yes I was.


  42. RUCerious Says:

    The Judge needs a consultant to advise him as he goes. He needs to grab someone from NSA, or DHS, one of their tech guys, who knows email, and then the Judge will get the answers he, and all of us, are looking for.

    Comment by BARTLEBEE — January 8, 2008 @ 4:16 pm

    How about Daryll?


  43. katy Says:

    check out the wiki bio on chuck norris...
    he IS married, his second wife...
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Norris


  44. jayjaybear Says:

    #39: Strangely, the emails disappeared from the backups after Rosemary Woods visited the White House...


  45. Uncle Ho Says:

    rocks911; Whew! you were starting to worry me. The sad part is, there really ARE blind sheep who really feel that way. Look at all the millions who supported Hitler right to the bitter end. Scary.


  46. RUCerious Says:

    he IS married, his second wife…
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Norris

    Comment by katy — January 8, 2008 @ 4:22 pm

    I don't understand.

    He's divorced.

    How can Huckabee stand to be in the same room with this fornicating adulterer? He's destined to burn in hell for all eternity, yet Huckster deems him acceptable for a endorsement?
    Lawdy.


  47. JPV Says:

    perhaps the judge should write a letter to the White House.

    That seems to be all the rage from those that do-jack-shit-for-Democracy-but-like-to-pretend-that-they-do these days.


  48. LividLib Says:

    How can Huckabee stand to be in the same room with this fornicating adulterer?

    Comment by RUCerious — January 8, 2008 @ 4:33 pm

    envy


  49. shoeless Says:

    I don’t understand.

    He’s divorced.

    How can Huckabee stand to be in the same room with this fornicating adulterer? He’s destined to burn in hell for all eternity, yet Huckster deems him acceptable for a endorsement?
    Lawdy.

    Comment by RUCerious

    It's the Republican way. At the time of their marriage, Chuck was 58 years old and Gena was 30 years old.


  50. Wayne Says:

    Contempt of Court is an impeachable offense.
    Unless you have Nancy Pelosi as the Speaker of the House, that is.


  51. Zooey Says:

    It’s the Republican way. At the time of their marriage, Chuck was 58 years old and Gena was 30 years old.

    Comment by shoeless — January 8, 2008 @ 4:41 pm

    Holy crap! Hell, I'm not worrying about an 18 year difference anymore.


  52. RUCerious Says:

    Admit it Z, as long as the difference is the guy younger than you!!


  53. Zooey Says:

    Admit it Z, as long as the difference is the guy younger than you!!
    Comment by RUCerious — January 8, 2008 @ 4:51 pm

    Naturally. ;)


  54. Wayne Says:

    Holy crap! Hell, I’m not worrying about an 18 year difference anymore.

    Comment by Zooey — January 8, 2008 @ 4:49 pm

    I'm 49 and my current girlfriend is 30, heh


  55. dbadass Says:

    There you go with that cougar stuff again


  56. IgnoranceIsNotBliss Says:

    Oh yeah? What is the Judge going to do? Hold them in contempt? Send the police to arrest them?

    (Shh, don't disturb my dream please)


  57. Wayne Says:

    He’s divorced.

    How can Huckabee stand to be in the same room with this fornicating adulterer? He’s destined to burn in hell for all eternity, yet Huckster deems him acceptable for a endorsement?
    Lawdy.

    Comment by RUCerious — January 8, 2008 @ 4:33 pm

    I guess I would really burn, divorced 5 years and not planning on re-marrying soon, too much fun being single again being a "fornicating adulterer". lol


  58. Doc Rock Says:

    Now the swift-boating of the judge begins


  59. RUCerious Says:

    Wayne, make sure your adulterationism includes healthy doses of fornicatitude.


  60. RUCerious Says:

    Bartles, see my # 17...


  61. hellinabucket Says:

    5 to 10 million emails will be too hard to swallow that some technogeek fatfingered it all away.

    without the emails it's obstruction of justice. this is the trail that will lead to the legacy of GWB.


  62. ForTruth Says:

    GWB's legacy will be ongoing investigations.


  63. deebaser Says:

    Holy crap! Hell, I’m not worrying about an 18 year difference anymore.

    Comment by Zooey — January 8, 2008 @ 4:49 pm

    I’m 49 and my current girlfriend is 30, heh

    Comment by Wayne — January 8, 2008 @ 4:55 pm
    ------

    Meh. Barely scandalous. The universal sketchy old dude calculation is half your age + 7 (rounded down).

    Go find a 31 y/o you cradlerobber!!!!!


  64. Zooey Says:

    Go find a 31 y/o you cradlerobber!!!!!
    Comment by deebaser — January 8, 2008 @ 6:11 pm

    No!! ;)


  65. bogtrotters Says:

    Who can arrest the White House for contempt? Even Nixon obeyed a Supreme Court order--but, unlike W, he wasn't on a Mission from God, Iguess.


  66. 99Luf Balloons Says:

    Thw WH knows the phone number of the Geek Squad. They used them already to trash laptops.
    http://wonkette.com/politics/cast-of-idiots/investigating-the-investigator-327405.php



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