New twist in e-mail scandal rocking the EPA

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There's a new twist today in the email scandal that's been rocking the EPA Environmental Protection Agency.

We're getting word that yet another EPA exact is now resigning in the wake of allegations that he improperly used a personal email account.

To conduct official business.

Regional administrator James -- we're told will step down at the end of the week.

This comes just two months after the now former head of the EPA Lisa Jackson.

Stepped down in the wake of a similar probe.

Chris Horner is an attorney -- senior fellow at the competitive enterprise institute and he is currently suing the EPA.

To release more documents about Jackson's case he's the man who began really the the in inquiry.

That led to all of this Chris I think it's fair to say and so now we learn.

And and we should say the EPA says Lisa Jackson did not resign because of the inquiry into her use of the alias she did she was emailing people under the name Richard -- Her dogged her and her home street.

They claim.

And now we learn that she wasn't really -- -- James Martin apparently really like to use his personal account to conduct official business still and they say.

This resignation -- has nothing to do with the inquiries now being made by the House of Representatives into why they were doing this your thoughts.

Well they they can say that but what else do you expect them to say it's just not plausible when you look at the timeline.

And the fact that this really was there on the way to avoid questioning in news at least in one of the cases were pretty sure under oath about there.

But we'll call records management practices we've got one creating a false identity for certain correspond -- certain federal record keeping.

And we've got which is on its face unlawful by the way and then we've -- and raises all sorts of questions about compliance with transparencies laws disclosure laws record keeping laws what were you thinking when you did this we know the foreseeable.

Outcome was going to be frustrating these laws and then we have a guy.

At a high level with a we demonstrated a pattern of using private email accounts some he would even set up clearly by the -- -- -- use for the purpose of conducting certain correspondents on behalf of his his government job and now.

Just this weekend and this morning I found three more.

Accounts of from senior officials using -- least Jackson's acting replacement is occasionally using his private account.

We've got a regional administrator I just found this morning -- also using his private account.

To correspond with the false identity account so.

These resignations.

Are just pure coincidence as I suppose but it does likely.

Likely.

Get them out from under questioning about certain how how how -- these what -- -- search in response to these lawsuits we file.

Yet because there's at least another one -- -- -- Chris Horner or you at home decide to file.

A demand for information from our public agencies they are required to respond to you and if they request is appropriate to give you be responsive documents.

But if they do a search for all emails.

In the name of Lisa Jackson.

They may not come up with the ones she was sending out under her dog's name -- old Dick Windsor might not come up under Lisa Jackson.

And that's exactly what the problem was and so now we find -- -- she wasn't the only one that -- -- her underlings but top people at the EPA.

We're using similar methods and the question is whether this was to avoid people like you -- your information request question Chris or whether this is just.

Something they do because they say this -- this guy claims this is a one time occurrence.

And they claim that it was all in good faith.

You know she says look I get I get thousands and thousand emails from the public -- and needed different email account.

Different email accounts one -- a false identity for federal records giving her resist that's completely another so that's not -- it's invasive.

I don't know what can performer and Sergio what they were thinking if they were thinking during these lapses of judgment but we do another one inescapable we need everybody has to agree the one -- outcome of this is to frustrate.

Requests and as I detail in the book the liberal -- transparency where -- reveal these false account these false identity and secret accounts.

Did you have to search those tell you have to search the private email accounts they're making up reasons not to search them I've had people say former government employees say you know.

If I have these records I was really working for the United Nations at the time I made them so I'm not going to look for them.

That person is no longer working for the Department of Commerce but they actually.

They'll manufacture reasons -- their mind not to search accounts that they've set up or using.

For the purposes of public service we found private computer servers private computers they're going to great lengths I've just found by the way -- and we've.

Were probably going to have to filed suit that they were using the same time instant messaging for certain correspondent sensitive correspondents like.

Creating the false identity email account for Richard Windsor so this is really epidemic among this administration they're not that into transparency.

Which is ironic given president -- -- out of Obama's statement.

Just last week where he said this.

This is the most transparent administration in history.

And and he went -- to talk about how they make everybody log in at the White House and so and so forth and you've got here.

Your issues but I want to ask you whether they're real because I know you've complained.

In part that they even the documents they -- to -- to turn over do you have been improperly redacted and is one where they -- they've they've redacted something about.

The recipe for Tur duck and I don't know that they did this this.

-- had a discussion about your docket you guys know this thing you have on Thanksgiving sometimes and they write separate and more important question is such a thing has turned -- A New Orleans dish was and then his part is redacted.

And they should this stature they were pulling our leg that never picture of -- Chris and I want to -- -- sell it maybe they weren't redact the information about your duck and so much as what they were doing when they heard about your -- And is your complaint.

-- you really making much ado about nothing cryptic.

I had.

I don't care about that rejection is just it is illustrative of how abusive -- they applied it to reject anything that potentially embarrassing moment he had reactions to press coverage and a -- advantage except hurt to the Turkey.

Chris thank you for being here or not arguing about --

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New twist in e-mail scandal rocking the EPA

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