House Questions Use of Secret Email Accounts by Obama Administration

Yesterday, the House of Representatives Science, Space and Technology Committee released a statement in which they announced their investigation into EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson’s use of an email alias and questionable tactics by other Administration departments to prevent disclosure under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Recent reports claimed that EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson used an alias email address under the name “Richard Windsor” to conduct official Government business.  This reported incident follows similarly secretive and highly questionable methods of communication by senior officials at science agencies within the White House, Department of Commerce (DOC), and Department of Energy (DOE).

Conducting official government business using private accounts is in direct contradiction to Federal law. The only purpose such actions could have is to prevent the tracking and archiving of email traffic that the administration does not want citizens or the press to uncover when they issue requests for email relating to topics.

Members of the committee sent a letter to Ms. Jackson as well as letters to the Inspectors General of the EPA, Department of Commerce, and the Department of Energy asking for information and reviews of how each agency is complying with the federal law. Specifically the letter to Jackson asks for documents detailing the use of alias accounts.