Hearing focuses on flaw in preserving White House records when personal accounts used

[alp227]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The nation’s archivist said Tuesday he’s uncomfortable with allowing White House staff members to decide whether their tweets, emails and Facebook messages from personal accounts are work-related and must be saved.

David Ferriero, archivist of the United States, told a House hearing that official communications sent from a presidential employee’s personal device, using personal accounts, must be preserved under the law. However, a staff member gets to determine what is official.

Brook Colangelo, the Obama administration’s chief information officer, said there’s no way to automatically capture communications from personal accounts unless they are accessed through a government-issued computer or personal device, such as an iPad or BlackBerry. He said the administration relies on periodic training to help employees make the right decision.

Asked by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., whether he was comfortable with a voluntary system replied, “Any time there is human intervention, then I’m not comfortable.”

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/hearing_focuses_on_flaw_in_preserving_white_house_records_when_personal_accounts_used/2011/05/03/AFVTNbhF_story.html

[msongs]

1. if it is work related it belongs to the taxpayers who have right to know nt

[KoKo]

2. Agree... We had this problem with Karl Rove in Bush Adminstration..and Others..

They were using Personal E-Mails offsite to another server and who could ever find out what they where doing as "Official Business" wasn't mixed with Personal Enrichment or Clandestine Activities.

I don't know how you can separate things in this Digital Age...where it's so easy to buy many cellphones and post or do Cloud Storage or manipulate things in many ways if you are a Government Worker or Elected Official...but at least it's a good thing to try to get a hold of what is going on.

:kick:

[OnyxCollie]

4. gwb43.com

Mike Duncan, head of the RNC at the time, was subpoenaed to produce the servers.

It was ignored.

Oh, well. We tried.

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

3. so Issa means anything from HIS blackberry is available under FOIA? n/t