E-mail

Courts still dealing with Bush records policies

Hannah Bergman | Freedom of Information | Feature | January 21, 2009
Feature
January 21, 2009

Even as President Barack Obama’s new administration takes charge of the White House this week, several disputes over the Bush Administration's records are far from over.

On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued a ruling in a key records case the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington brought against then-Vice President Dick Cheney.

Accessing White House records next week and beyond

Hannah Bergman | Freedom of Information | Reaction | January 16, 2009
Reaction
January 16, 2009

The Bush Administration is packing its boxes of records as it prepares to leave the White House next week -- and is required by law to send most of those documents to the National Archives and Records Administration. But ensuring that the transition follows the law is troubling to a host of groups with pending records suits against the administration, who want to ensure the documents are retained and that their suits can still go forward.

N.J. governor's e-mail ruled private

Ahnalese Rushmann | Freedom of Information | Feature | January 13, 2009
Feature
January 13, 2009

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine can keep a lid on e-mail exchanges with his ex-girlfriend, a former labor union leader, a state appeals court ruled Monday.

A three-judge panel reversed previous rulings that called for in-chambers inspection of the e-mail messages and disclosure of the former couple’s correspondence.

Missouri gov will turn over email

Corinna Zarek | Freedom of Information | Quicklink | December 30, 2008
Quicklink
December 30, 2008

Gov. Matt Blunt will give the Missouri attorney general's office thousands of pages of email records to settle a lawsuit against his office alleging he "knowingly and purposely" violated open records laws by deleting email messages.

Ohio newspaper wins access to officials' deleted e-mail

Hannah Bergman | Freedom of Information | Quicklink | December 10, 2008
Quicklink
December 10, 2008

Ohio officials were ordered Tuesday by the state Supreme Court to search for deleted e-mail messages.

The case, brought by The Toledo Blade, involved an open records law request for e-mail sent by Seneca County commissioners regarding the demolition of a historic courthouse.

The county gave the newspaper some messages, but the Blade sought copies of other e-mail that had been deleted.

Bloomberg aides demanded free Yankee suite

Jordan Zappala | Freedom of Information | Quicklink | December 1, 2008
Quicklink
December 1, 2008

In his ongoing investigation into the Yankees' new baseball stadium, New York Assemblyman Richard Brodsky uncovered e-mail messages sent by Mayor Michael Bloomberg's top aides that show an aggressive bid for a free luxury suite at taxpayer expense, the New York Daily News reported.

Archives prepares for outgoing White House records

Hannah Bergman | Freedom of Information | Feature | November 24, 2008
Feature
November 24, 2008

Staff members at the National Archives assured the Public Interest Declassification Board on Friday they are making progress on an electronic record management system and will be ready to receive an unprecedented number of documents and electronic records from the Bush Administration in January.

Assistant Archivist Michael Kurtz also offered his insight into changes the agency would like to see as part of the next administration’s executive order addressing declassification.

Court seems wary in oral arguments over White House e-mail

Kathleen Cullinan | Freedom of Information | Quicklink | November 17, 2008
Quicklink
November 17, 2008

Oral arguments Friday in a watchdog's lawsuit over missing White House e-mail messages did not seem to bode well for transparency in the matter, The Associated Press reported. 

Groups make headway in missing White House e-mail suit

Hannah Bergman | Freedom of Information | Feature | November 11, 2008
Feature
November 11, 2008

The National Security Archive and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington won a major battle Monday in their efforts to recover missing White House e-mail messages.

A federal court denied the Bush administration’s motion to dismiss the groups’ lawsuit. The two groups are seeking a court order, under the Presidential Records Act and Federal Records Act, saying the White House has to restore thousands of e-mail messages that were improperly archived.

Palin administration must preserve Yahoo e-mail, judge says

Hannah Bergman | Freedom of Information | Quicklink | October 14, 2008
Quicklink
October 14, 2008

An Alaska judge on Friday ordered Gov. Sarah Palin’s office to preserve e-mail messages in her private Yahoo accounts, amid a lawsuit filed this month by a local watchdog over records in the governor's administration.

Andree McLeod’s records requests have already helped reveal Palin's frequent use of Yahoo accounts to conduct official business.