The 'word' is out there: Key Democrat accuses officials of lying about e-mails

[babylonsister]

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/nation/17068813.htm

Key Democrat accuses officials of lying about e-mails
By Margaret Talev and Marisa Taylor
McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee accused the Bush administration Thursday of trying to bury potentially damaging Republican Party e-mails about eight fired U.S. attorneys and compared the situation to Watergate.

"They say they have not been preserved. I don't believe that!" said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., of e-mails that the White House had said a day earlier might be lost. "You can't erase e-mails, not today. They've gone through too many servers. Those e-mails are there, they just don't want to produce them. It's like the infamous 18-minute gap in the Nixon White House tapes."

snip//

Lawmakers told the White House and the RNC weeks ago to retain e-mails that had been sent by White House aides on RNC accounts after an early document release showed that some correspondence on the U.S. attorneys issue had been sent via a campaign e-mail address.

An estimated 50 current and former White House aides had Republican Party e-mail accounts. They may have used non-government e-mail addresses to comply with the federal Hatch Act, which prohibits using government resources to conduct political business.

Democrats have charged that Bush aides might have used non-government e-mail addresses to evade requirements that presidential records be saved for historical purposes.

Sens. Leahy and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., told the White House by letter Thursday that they want to hire an independent and "mutually trusted computer forensics expert. Such a process would help to restore public confidence in the White House's desire to comply with the Presidential Records Act."

The House Judiciary Committee instructed the RNC on Thursday to turn over all relevant e-mails and documents by April 20, regardless of what the White House does. The House panel also is looking for e-mails involving the U.S. attorney in Wisconsin, who announced just before last year's election the indictment of a staffer to the governor. An appeals court just reversed the conviction.

more...

[ShortnFiery]

1. OMG, the L word (LIE!). n/t

[babylonsister]

2. Actually, I meant McClatchey newspaperS! Those that don't have

access to a 'puter or the curiosity can now read about it if they care to. :)

[senseandsensibility]

3. Do you happen to know if any of this

was shown on the evening news on the networks? Probably not, I would guess. But then again, we're always a few days ahead here at DU.:)

[babylonsister]

4. Funny you should ask, I did earlier.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=639532&mesg_id=639532

I don't know about evening news, but CNN did cover it tonight. I hear Leahy yelling:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=3212280

[senseandsensibility]

5. Yes, that's something

and I hope just the beginning. I did hear about it on Keith tonight. :-)