The personal emails were part of a bigger cache of roughly 30,000 emails from her personal server that Hillary Clinton turned over to the State Department late last year — long after Mrs. Clinton left the State Department
In spite of prior statements to the contrary, it is unlikely Clinton will now release the 1,246 E-Mails deemed to be “personal” by the State Department
According to a report by CNN, “More than 1,200 emails that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton turned over to the State Department are personal and not part of the federal record, the government's chief records officer ruled.... The State Department asked the National Archives and Records Administration to review 1,246 emails the State Department identified as personal in nature.... ‘The goal of this review was to validate that the department correctly applied federal statutes, regulations and guidelines in identifying the personal correspondence of the former secretary,’ Paul Wester, chief records officer for the U.S. government, wrote to the State Department earlier this month....” ( See “More than 1,200 Clinton emails deemed 'personal' ” by Chris Frates, 5/21/15, CNN
[http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/21/politics/hillary-clinton-1200-emails-state-department/]).
The CNN article also specifically noted, “Clinton has called on the State Department to publicly release her emails expeditiously.... ‘I have said repeatedly I want those emails out,’ said the Democratic Candidate of President earlier this week. ‘Nobody has a bigger interest in getting them released than I do.’...”
However, the CCN reporter, Chris Frates, opined that “... [i]t is unlikely Clinton would choose to publicly release the 1,246 emails now deemed personal....”
UPDATE: THE “MORE SECRETARY HILLARY CLINTON RECORDS PROBLEMS FOR TOP ARCHIVIST” EDITION
ReplyDeleteTHE SAME PAUL WESTER THAT WILL REVIEW MORE THAN TWELVE HUNDRED (1200+) HILLARY CLINTON E-MAILS “DEEMED PERSONAL” BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT — EARLIER FAILED TO FOLLOW-UP ON WARNINGS THAT CLINTON MIGHT BE REMOVING DOCUMENTS FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT
WESTER ALSO GAVE DICEY TESTIMONY TO CONGRESS ABOUT RECORDS TRANSFERS FROM STATE DEPARTMENT
According to a report in Politico, “Before Hillary Clinton stepped down as secretary of state in early 2013, National Archives officials were warned that her official records might wind up outside the control of the State Department and pledged to take steps to address the issue, newly released records reveal.... ‘We need to discuss what we know, and how we should delicately go about learning more about, regarding the transition plans for Secretary Clinton’s departure from State,’ Paul Wester, chief records officer for the U.S. Government wrote to National Archives colleagues in a Dec. 11, 2012....” (See “Archives officials worried about preserving Hillary’s records” by Josh Gerstein, 5/21/15, Politico [http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/hillary-clinton-archive-officials-protecting-emails-118184.html]).
NO EVIDENCE OF FOLLOW-UP BY TOP ARCHIVIST ON CONCERNS ABOUT TRANSFERS OF HILLARY CLINTON’S RECORDS OUT OF GOVERNMENT CONTROL
Politico’s report also noted, “... The National Archives correspondence released to POLITICO on Wednesday under the Freedom of Information Act shows that before Clinton departed, some in the government were focused on ensuring that all of her records were properly archived. However, the records do not indicate how or if officials at the National Archives and State followed up on concerns or whether anyone at the National Archives knew about Clinton’s personal email use before February of this year.... [Paul Wester, chief records officer for the U.S. Government] said in an interview Thursday that his agency did not end up reaching out to State after the December 2012 discussion about Clinton’s records. Instead, the National Archives continued to circulate general government-wide guidance to agencies about managing their records during personnel transitions like those that often take place at the end of a presidential term....”
WESTER ALSO COVERED FOR STATE DEPARTMENT IN PRIOR CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY ABOUT E-MAIL AND RECORDS TRANSFERS
Politico noted that “... [a] State Department inspector general’s report issued in 2012 found ‘problematic morale and poor communication’ in the State bureau charged with overseeing record keeping.... State’s ‘records management practices do not meet statutory and regulatory requirements. Although the office develops policy and issues guidance, it does not ensure proper implementation, monitor performance, or enforce compliance,’ the IG report found.... However, Wester’s tone was positive in his message to be relayed to the Hill about State’s practices.... ‘We are not privy to all of their internal deliberations, but we believe State is making good progress on the email management issue,’ he wrote.... Asked Thursday about his assurances, Wester said he and his colleagues have only limited insight into what agencies are up to.... ‘Those were our views based on information the State Department provided to use and also based on routine interaction our staff members have with them,’ Wester told POLITICO.... ‘The challenge we have across the federal government is knowing exactly what is happening with thousands of employees within each of the agencies and what they do on a day-to-day basis.’...”
The press is now on to this. Drip Drip Drip . . .
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