McCLELLAN: deleted emails not part of Justice Department investigation

[shockingelk]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/10/20031007-4.html

Q So do they go to some archivist and say, I vaguely remember sending something back in July, can I go back and look? Or does someone here at the White House provide that material separately?

MR. McCLELLAN: The individuals will go through all the information that's in their possession. Remember what the request asked for, and that's what -- I would refer you back to the specific request from the Department of Justice.

Q But that's what I mean. If you --

MR. McCLELLAN: But we maintain a lot of records already. And if the Justice Department requests something, we're more than happy to provide them with responsive information.

Q No, I understand that. I'm just saying how would this work? Let's say I remember -- I'm an official, I remember sending some email about this, but I've long since deleted it. How --

MR. McCLELLAN: Understood. And that's why --

Q -- how do I get access to that --

MR. McCLELLAN: That's why I look at the request and employees are expected to go back through all the information that they possess. That's what's expected of the White House employees. There's other requests of the White House and staff, as well.

Q So in other words, the Justice Department request would ask the White House to provide materials --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, look back at the specific request. I didn't bring the actual memo out here from the Department of Justice.

Q I just want to be clear, though, the White House is obligated to provide emails that may have been deleted by the individual but are still archived by the White House --

MR. McCLELLAN: Look back -- it said what is in the possession of, I believe, in the White House, the employees and staff. So I'll look back at that. But we are doing everything to make sure we are responsive to everything that the Justice Department requested, because we want to get to the bottom of this, and we want to help those career officials get to the bottom of this.

[hang a left]

1. This guy sure plays alot of word games, eh?

[realFedUp]

2. The CIA should just raid the White House

Tenet should show some balls for once in his life.

[WoodrowFan]

14. They CAN'T

The CIA is not a law enforcement agency, it would have to be the FBI. (fat chance there, huh)

[Cush]

3. well

its possible to recover delted info, the question is: Will people be allowed to?

Or perhaps the CIA will work a little magic?

[shockingelk]

9. He is saying ...

That they won't look at the deleted emails because the wording of the DoJ request only requires them to "information that's in their possession." Deleted email is no longer in individual WH employee's possession.

[Pastiche423]

10. Aha!

But, their hard drives (w/all deleted emails on them) ARE in their possession. His words belied the true meaning of "possession".

Did anyone count how many times he said "rumors and innuendos"? When Wilson stated Rove said his wife was fair game - that was a rumor and/or an innuendo, as far as Scott is concerned.

[Gman]

4. They are now looking very Nixonian

with their stonewalling.

[Octafish]

5. Apply the USA PATRIOT Act on the so-and-sos.

Among the law's particularly insidious assaults on the US Constitution is the new authority given government investigative agencies in fighting terrorism (and anything that can even be called terrorism by any stretch of the imagination). In blowing up the parts about "unreasonable search and seizure," USAPA allows the FBI to come in and download hard drives without a warrant. The present case qualifies as terrorism — the outted operative worked to fight WMD proliferation — and Bush, Cheney, Rove, Card, Libbey, and the rest of the WH crew are under suspicion.

[grasswire]

7. so they made good use...

....of that extra 12 hours last week between the time they were alerted of the investigation and the instructions from Gonzalez to preserve documents.

But investigators were able to retrieve hundreds of thousands of emails from the backup tape during the Clinton years...Larry Klayman sued and got those emails retrieved.

[maggrwaggr]

11. I like that. What good is the Patriot Act if ...

we can't use it against treasonists?

These people are treasonists.

[Cat Atomic]

6. Look at this ridiculous excuse for an investigation:

The issue at hand is ABUSE OF POWER TO RETALIATE AGAINST A DISSENTER, and the White House staff is invited to send all pertinent documents to the White House counsel. TO THE BOSS, essentially.

Their bosses get to review the information first. They get to decide whether or not it goes to the Justice Department at all.

Even if it DOES get to the Justice Department, Ashcroft's severe conflict of interest makes it reasonable to assume the information would be buried anyway. What sort of info would be gathered under these circumstances?

We need an independent council, and no, Mr. Bush- it can't be Henry Kissinger.

[T Bone]

8. help those career officials get to the bottom of this

Why does McCllelan make a point of saying "career officials". Just seems odd that he would say that in that way.

[newyawker99]

12. kick

[dusty64]

13. Kick!

x

[never cry wolf]

17. Because that was shrub's response when asked

if a special prosecutor was needed. He said that there are career professionals in the DoJ that are competent to hancle the job.

[blm]

15. Let's not drop this, folks.

.

[Spazito]

16. I don't understand-Ashcroft is in a clear conflict of interest....

why doesn't that automatically make an independent counsel the only legal authority to do the investigation?

How can they (Bush admin) be allowed to continue to be left doing what is clearly an "internal" investigation?

What has to be done to bring out the conflict of interest re Ashcroft?

[HFishbine]

18. I Understand

politics, and compromise, and loyalty, and even some people's wllingness to make deals with the devil, but this is beyond comprehension.

How does this guy sleep at night? How can he face his wife and children? A million dollars a year wouldn't be enough to force me to publicly humiliate myself to this degree, and I'm sure his salary is far less than that.