WP, Froomkin, "The Next Bush Scandal": RNC e-mail accounts (Rove aide Ralston had at least four)

[DeepModem Mom]

The Next Bush Scandal?
By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Tuesday, April 10, 2007

The slowly-unfolding disclosure that some White House aides use non-government e-mail servers to conduct official business may soon be reaching scandal proportions.

As John D. McKinnon writes in today's Wall Street Journal: "The widespread use of private email accounts by some top White House officials is sparking a congressional probe into the practice and whether it violates a post-Nixon law requiring that White House deliberations be documented.

"A top Democratic lawmaker says outside email accounts were used in an attempt to avoid scrutiny; the White House says their purpose was to avoid using government resources for political activities, although they were used to discuss the firing of U.S. attorneys."

Most of the e-mail accounts at issue are on Republican National Committee servers. For instance: "Susan Ralston, until recently presidential adviser Karl Rove's assistant at the White House, appears to have used at least four outside email accounts: a 'gwb' domain account, a 'georgewbush.com' account, and an 'rnchq.org' account -- all run by the RNC -- plus an AOL account. She once emailed two associates of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, 'I now have an RNC blackberry which you can use to e-mail me at any time. No security issues like my WH email.' . . .

"'At the end of the day, it looks like they were trying to avoid the records act . . . by operating official business off the official systems,' said John Podesta, who worked in the White House for the entire Clinton presidency, including a stint as chief of staff. . . .

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2007/...

[DearAbby]

1. I wonder

If Fitzgerald is interested in the multiple email servers? They probably used them for all their shady dealings...

regardless, I am going to watch this with interest.

[Jack Rabbit]

2. Yes, they used them for all their shady dealings -- and that's quite a lot

Things things will turn out more lethal to the Bush regime than the tapes were to Nixon.

[NewJeffCT]

9. As I said a few days ago

I hope these laptops & blackberries are secured, and that the emails are retrievable.

I can see it now, "All the laptops and blackberries were incinerated a few days ago. It was all the fault of a low-level staffer. So sorry, but we'll make sure we give them a nice stern talking to..."

[paparush]

18. The devices themselves are LESS important as the data on the email server..

If the server hasn't been wiped then all the records are there. So, you have the sender's email server and the receiver's email server.

[disndat]

48. I hope

Conyers and Leahy made sure the email servers were secured before announcing their intention to subpoena the DOJ and RNC email laptops.

[yy4me]

44. As I recall, the government has a dismal record in keeping

track of their laptops. I wonder if the important ones in this cast were "lost"?

[DearAbby]

43. From your keyboard

to the great diety's monitor!

[tbyg52]

53. From your keyboard to some deity's ears!

And I'm an atheist....

[hang a left]

11. I have said this before..

I think that Fitz was the first one to discover them

[smtpgirl]

46. Those email servers were probably scrubbed

long ago

[tbyg52]

54. Someone who knows what they are talking about

says that doesn't matter:

Noooooo! I thought I bookmarked it! Anyway, the gist of it is that is would be impossible to *completely* disappear *all* of them, and that a great deal could be recovered by a determined party.

Yaaaaaaay! Found it!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[19jet54]

3. "I am not a crook" - Nixon

You know, most of these guys were trained by Nixon - No wonder they behave like crooks, sneaks & liars?

[Auggie]

6. I wonder if * will crack like Nixon too.

[NewJeffCT]

10. I'm not sure they will

I think deep down, Nixon did have a soul and a conscience. I'm not sure I could say that about Bush & Cheney.

[wicket]

30. Just call him George W. Nixon

[polmaven]

38. Except When Nixon wasn't busy being a crook...

he actually accomplished some things that were beneficial to the country.

I guess Cheney and company hadn't yet perfected their systems.

[StClone]

4. Geez, talk about not being (White) House Broken

From start to finish these crooks have no use for accepted laws, rules or precedent. Wonder if Rove pees in the potted plants because he feels like it.

[PurpleChez]

5. And yet

they are still able to convince a third of the population that they represent the rule of law, morality, and all that other BS

[E-Z-B]

13. Amazing, isn't it? One third of the people enjoy being lied to, lying to themselves, and lying to

others

[PurpleChez]

40. Or, that they've adopted the idea

that the morality of an action is defined by who is acting rather than by the nature of the action. In other words, if * ate a baby it would become moral.

[Cha]

50. 1/3 of the population can't

admit they made a mistake like first fuckhead.

[Arkansas Granny]

15. This is just another example of how they are bringing integrity

back to the White House. Their version of integrity, at least.

[formercia]

7. I guess they consider voter suppresion a political activity

[formercia]

8. I told you assholes that they would ask for your copy

time's up.

[ArmchairMeme]

12. Americans need to know the truth

I wonder how many Americans are aware of this law?

"As John D. McKinnon writes in today's Wall Street Journal: "The widespread use of private email accounts by some top White House officials is sparking a congressional probe into the practice and whether it violates a post-Nixon law requiring that White House deliberations be documented."

Until I read it here at DU I was not aware that a law had been put in place to require the WH to document the communications.

[htuttle]

14. "No security issues like my WH email."

That phrase keeps echoing in my mind. Are there really security issues with the WH email system? I'd have assumed it was one of the more secure systems on the planet, maybe even tempest-shielded to prevent foreign intelligence agencies from parking a van outside and reading the screens.

And yet they consider AOL and Blackberry mails to be "more secure"? I guess the question is: Secure from whom?

Really gives you some insight into the conspiratorial mindset of these racketeers, when you think about it!

[frylock]

31. no security issues = free to discuss anything..

I think in this context what she meant by "security issues" was that the emails wouldn't be monitored as closely as the WH mail server might.

[htuttle]

33. Exactly

They were more worried about being monitored by Congressional oversight committees than by foreign intelligence agencies!

[Kurovski]

16. How long, oh Lord, how long?

Impeach, indict, imprison.

[johnlal]

17. I believe the Administration... and it's sad.

I believe it when they say that they used the RNC e-mail accounts to avoid doing political work on official computers. However, that's only because every single piece of business, every policy decision, every budget item, every deployment of troops, every single thing the president does in office is related to the politics of the Republican party. Policy and politics cannot be separated in this administration. Kyle Sampson stated the Administration's position clearly:
"The distinction between 'political' and 'performance-related' reasons for removing a United States attorney is, in my view, largely artificial"

[Jackpine Radical]

23. As proved by their assertion that they used the RNC systems

"to avoid using government resources for political activities, although they were used to discuss the firing of U.S. attorneys."

A flat-out fact: The firings were political.

[donkeyotay]

25. What a stunning admission that was. Gaining power and money for the GOP crime family

and the business of governing the nation are indistinguishable, and that is the problem:

"The distinction between 'political' and 'performance-related' reasons for removing a United States attorney is, in my view, largely artificial"

Can't tell the difference, Kyle? What was that thingie that your department was named after? Something about a rule or a law? Somekindof equality, representative government...or a Pat Robert's insider's crackpot school of theocracy of, by and for the GOP who know better than everyone else and just happen to be getting rich off this whole disaster.

[debbierlus]

19. It isn't the crime - it's the cover-up

And, the hubris. They NEVER thought the dems would win the Congress. And, now they are screwed.

Scum.

[Norquist Nemesis]

20. Look on the bright side!!

Given the Bush Admins' level of incompetence so far, I doubt they've 'wiped' everything clean. It might take a handful of forensic specialists to dig out the info/docs, but it's still there!

[librechik]

21. their excuse for committing one crime is that they were acctually committing a different one?

and as I recall, this is not the first time their lawyers have taken this route.

Wow.

snip

White House officials dispute the criticisms, saying the purpose of the RNC accounts has been to avoid running afoul of another federal law, the Hatch Act. It prohibits many federal officials from engaging in political activity on government time or with government resources."

[loudsue]

41. Which shows that they were aware of the laws, and they deliberately

disobeyed those laws.

[JPZenger]

22. Some interesting research by others

TPmuckracker covered this story also, and some of their participants did some research that is posted under their comment section right beneath the article on the following link:

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002771.php

One of the comments included the following:

"Domains sharing mail servers with gwb43.com:

bcorker.com
bobcorkerforsenate.com
consultmhi.com
georgewbush.com
gop.com
gop.net
gop.org
gopcontact.com
gopemail.com
gopteamleader.com
govtechsolutions.com
gwb43.com
newt.org
ohiogop.org
republicanvictoryteam.com
republicanvictoryteam.net
republicanvictoryteam.org
rga.org
ricksantorum.com
rnc.org
rnchq.org
socialsecurityblueprint.com
speakergingrich.com
speakergingrich.net
technomania.com
thehuntercompanies.com
thirdwave2.com
thirdwave2.net
winningwomen.com
wrcb.com
wrcb.net

SOURCE: http://www.robtex.com/dns/gwb43.com.html "

[formercia]

29. check out govtechsolutions.com

http://www.govtechsolutions.com/clients.asp

http://judiciary.house.gov /

http://www.govtechsolutions.com/clients.asp

2006 CMF Silver Mouse Award Recipient
With the complex information that the Judiciary Committee presents, the website and content management system needed to be customized to meet their specific requirements. GovTech Solutions conducted staff interviews on the legislative process of the committee. After the creation of the architecture of the information, five templates were designed in a 1024x768 resolution for a more progressive look. The development phase by top technical resources utilized the latest technologies to ensure the success of the site. The website launched in November, 2005. GovTech Solutions continues to support the site through an Online Services Package.

I wonder if they have access to the databases too?

[DAMANgoldberg]

39. 4 domains got my attention.

bcorker.com
bobcorkerforsenate.com
wrcb.com
wrcb.net

Bob Corker (R-TN) was mayor of Chattanooga, WRCB-TV 3 is the NBC affiliate for Chattanooga. I used to work for a "square burger" company headquartered in Chattanooga and spent plenty of time there. I had a chance to watch 3, 9, and 12 newscasts. Now it make sense how 3 is very slanted to right and devoid of diversity unlike 12 and especially 9. Now it all comes together.

[Zambero]

24. Yet another GOP coverup tactic

You could almost call this "Real Time" coverup. Routinely keep the people's business off the record so that no one (especilly Congress) can ever obtain official gov't records or exercise oversight of your activities. What the heck, there's so much that can be gotten away with, given a bit of creative skullduggery from the likes of Uncle Karl and his crew.

[junkiebrewster]

26. Who wants to be the first to send an email to

[e-mail]

[Supersedeas]

27. no security emails is just code for no oversight!!!

[ejbr]

28. Nothing will happen to these assholes

The MSM will gloss over it, talk more about Anna Nicole's baby and move on to how Democrats are undermining the troops and are acting against the polls. If nothing else, they will help the Republican talking heads to spread the lie that Clinton did it too. Nothing to see here folks, move along. The same shit that has occurred over the last 7 years. Since Rove & Co. got a pass on their treasonous behavior because "no one was charged on the underlying crime" by a U.S. Attorney whose job was most likely threatened (where Jason Leopold's credibility was ruined because Fitz is a fucking weasly piece of shit, in my humble opinion), I have lost faith in my country and will not be holding my breathe even with all the overwhelming evidence.

[ThomWV]

32. The E-Mails Will Be Bush's "White House Tapes"

They will tell the story and they will be the death of this Administration and the criminals who make it up.

[gatorboy]

34. "No security issues like my WH email."

Well, that about says it all, doesn't it?

Enough with this slow roast. Time to put wood on the flames and smoke these fuckers OUT!

[upperleftedge]

35. Burn baby burn

What more can we possibly need to impeach these people? Obstruction of justice, perjury, and incompetence. Kids dying everyday in an illegal and immoral war. Pour gasoline on that fire while it is still cheap enough. Impeachment doesn't just need to be on the table, it needs to be on the plate.

[On the Road]

59. What Would the Security Issues Be?

That phrase doesn't sound like someone attempting to hide official secrets.

[Na Gael]

36. Subversion?

Isn't this essentially subversion?

[Marr]

37. Didn't Waxman request these RNC emails, and shouldn't he

have received them by now? Seems like it was for last Thursday, IIRC. But I could be wrong. Anyone heard anything on that?

[IWantAChange]

42. What will it take for the 29% to say enough is enough???

[johnnyrocket]

57. It's obvious 29% AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION AT ALL!!

At all, at all! Clueless idiots, dangerous enablers. Fucking ignorant assholes.

May they get a clue, some day.

[NBachers]

45. RICO RICO RICO

How long will it be before RICO charges are brought against these mobsters? We've been honing the RICO statutes; the conspiracy statutes, and the Continuing Criminal Enterprise statutes in our failed Drug War for the last thirty-five years. Let's put them to work cleaning the Republican scum out of public life and into prison.

[Kurovski]

47. Kick. (nt)

[Cha]

49. Of course they don't want

their shit documented. I'm shocked at how many wh emails get supeoned as it is!

So they think they're getting all clever and now they're getting busted again.

[annabanana]

51. Gee! It seems they've gone "missing". . .

Who would've thought they might go "missing"?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[Ahgoo]

52. Emails Destroyed

Yup that's what the WH is saying. If I knew how to link I would but go see Talking Points Memo - this was just out on the AP

[KingBob]

55. MORE RICO

Since these bozos (WH & RNC) are regularly violating the Presidential Records Act, I wonder if there is a US Attorney left with any brass ones left willing to look at RICO. Not only for violating the Records Act, but also conspiracy.

Remember when Morris Dees and the Southern Poverty Law Center sued the KKK and won. The settlement was for all of the assets the KKK owned. Gee, will that mean the RNC will be owned lock, stock, and barrel by us poor citizens? Maybe we can use the assets to pay down the BU$HCO debt.

[johnnyrocket]

56. How many pillars does this Whitehouse have?

They're being knocked down weekly, but somehow Bush needs his 'Imus' moment...so this all comes crashing down.


Let's hope it's sooner rather than later.

[ProudDad]

58. This is good

Just as ollie north found out that deleting files doesn't really delete them I suspect the rnc will be finding out that the internet never forgets...

Twisting in the wind...