Thursday
Apr122007
White House Gaggle
Thursday, April 12, 2007 at 3:00AM
By Victoria Jones
White House Gaggle
12 April 2007
By Victoria Jones
The President had his usual briefings. He has a meeting shortly on No Child Left Behind reauthorization. This afternoon he will meet with Senators McCain and Graham on their recent trip to Iraq.
RNC Emails
Deputy White House Press Secretary Scott Stanzel was asked why some reporters were excluded from a conference call that took place yesterday afternoon. He said he put together the call for reporters who were following that issue and who had outstanding questions. Concern was expressed by reporters from NBC and CNN. A transcript of the call was requested. He said he did not think one would be available. A reporter said that was unacceptable.
Stanzel was asked if some emails were lost that had to do with US attorneys. He said that could not be ruled out. He said that at the White House there are approximately 1,700 people. About 1,000 are political appointees, not career appointees. Of that 1,000, 22 have RNC provided email accounts because in their normal course of duties they have to regularly interface with political organizations.
Stanzel said that the White House policy is that some emails dealing with official business have potentially been lost. That is a mistake that the White House is aggressively working to fix. It will take all reasonable steps to retrieve those messages, and will certainly ensure that it does not happen again
Stanzel said that the White House policy on this matter did not provide enough clarity to staff about how to, in their business, avoid inadvertent violations of the Hatch Act, which says do not use government equipment for political purposes, while at the same time preserving official emails regarding official business that may have been sent on outside email accounts, those accounts being the RNC provided email accounts.
Stanzel was asked to identify the 22 people who have the email accounts. He took the question, but did not give the names, nor did he indicate that he would give the names.
Stanzel was asked how the White House could not have had clear guidance. It was pointed out that it is year seven of the administration. Stanzel said technology has advanced. This is just the second administration to have email, and the first to deal with the ubiquity of 24 hour communications in the form of blackberries. The policy has been improved and clarified for staff.
Stanzel went on to say that there are official business emails, there are political business emails, and there is a gray area where employees have to make a judgment. Some employees, out of an abundance of caution, could have been sending official business emails on their RNC account. The policy could have been clearer; the White House could have done a better job in terms of enforcing and overseeing that policy.
Stanzel was asked why people are doing political business on government time. He said that the Office of Political Affairs has been around for more than 25 years. There is wide recognition that the President, in his role as leader of the party, has certain functions that require him and his staff to interface with political organizations and parties. To make sure we are not in inadvertent violation of the Hatch Act by using federal equipment, it is important for those people to have outside resources provided by outside organizations, Stanzel said.
Stanzel was asked if there are RNC phone lines. He said he would check.
It was explained that after 2004, an individual would have to take two steps in order to delete an email. Stanzel said since 2004 the RNC has had a policy of excluding White House staff from their automatic deletion policy. He agreed that it was possible that records could have been lost. The WH Counsel's office is communicating with the RNC Counsel's office to see if any official business emails were lost and if they can be recovered.
Stanzel was asked how many emails were involved. He said he did not know. He was asked if some emails were deliberately deleted. Sometimes people delete emails to free up space, Stanzel said. He could not speak to motivations. Stanzel was asked how long it would take to recover the emails and turn them over to Congress. He said that process is just beginning.
It was stated that the President has spoken publicly about the potential to assert executive privilege in the US attorney matter because of the candid advice he says he needs to get from presidential advisors. Stanzel was asked if the White House believes that emails sent on RNC accounts would still be covered by executive privilege. Stanzel said he had not asked the attorneys.
Stanzel was asked why people would be writing about US attorneys on non White House email accounts. He replied that the guidance prior to this point has been clear: You should avoid inadvertent violations of the Hatch Act. Some employees, it seems out of an abundance of caution, sometimes out of logistical reasons, have communicated about official business on those political email accounts. He said he could not speak to the motivations of any individual.
Stanzel was asked if motivation would be looked into. He declined to describe the White House Counsel's work or the scope of their review.
Baghdad Bombing
Stanzel was asked if the President has been briefed on the suicide bombing, and how it could take place in the green zone. He said that the President has been briefed. The United States condemns the attack today. This attack demonstrates that the terrorists and extremists will go to great lengths to undermine the Iraqi government, a government that is working to bring peace and stability to the people of Iraq, as opposed to the death and destruction that the terrorists offer. The United States and Iraq cannot and will not let them succeed, Stanzel said.
Meeting with Democratic Leadership
Stanzel was asked whether, at next Wednesday's meeting with the Democratic leadership, the President is prepared to negotiate. He said the leaders have been invited to talk about how to get a war supplemental to the President's desk. They do not have the votes to override his veto. Sixty six days ago, the President sent up his request for emergency funding for the troops.
It has been weeks since he made it very clear that he will not accept a bill that ties the hands of commanders on the ground and mandates a withdrawal time. The President will not accept those conditions. Democrats largely have said they will not cut off the funds. The President looks forward to that conversation. We need to find a way to come together, and make sure the troops have the funding they need and the commanders have the flexibility they need to implement the policies.
White House Gaggle
12 April 2007
By Victoria Jones
The President had his usual briefings. He has a meeting shortly on No Child Left Behind reauthorization. This afternoon he will meet with Senators McCain and Graham on their recent trip to Iraq.
RNC Emails
Deputy White House Press Secretary Scott Stanzel was asked why some reporters were excluded from a conference call that took place yesterday afternoon. He said he put together the call for reporters who were following that issue and who had outstanding questions. Concern was expressed by reporters from NBC and CNN. A transcript of the call was requested. He said he did not think one would be available. A reporter said that was unacceptable.
Stanzel was asked if some emails were lost that had to do with US attorneys. He said that could not be ruled out. He said that at the White House there are approximately 1,700 people. About 1,000 are political appointees, not career appointees. Of that 1,000, 22 have RNC provided email accounts because in their normal course of duties they have to regularly interface with political organizations.
Stanzel said that the White House policy is that some emails dealing with official business have potentially been lost. That is a mistake that the White House is aggressively working to fix. It will take all reasonable steps to retrieve those messages, and will certainly ensure that it does not happen again
Stanzel said that the White House policy on this matter did not provide enough clarity to staff about how to, in their business, avoid inadvertent violations of the Hatch Act, which says do not use government equipment for political purposes, while at the same time preserving official emails regarding official business that may have been sent on outside email accounts, those accounts being the RNC provided email accounts.
Stanzel was asked to identify the 22 people who have the email accounts. He took the question, but did not give the names, nor did he indicate that he would give the names.
Stanzel was asked how the White House could not have had clear guidance. It was pointed out that it is year seven of the administration. Stanzel said technology has advanced. This is just the second administration to have email, and the first to deal with the ubiquity of 24 hour communications in the form of blackberries. The policy has been improved and clarified for staff.
Stanzel went on to say that there are official business emails, there are political business emails, and there is a gray area where employees have to make a judgment. Some employees, out of an abundance of caution, could have been sending official business emails on their RNC account. The policy could have been clearer; the White House could have done a better job in terms of enforcing and overseeing that policy.
Stanzel was asked why people are doing political business on government time. He said that the Office of Political Affairs has been around for more than 25 years. There is wide recognition that the President, in his role as leader of the party, has certain functions that require him and his staff to interface with political organizations and parties. To make sure we are not in inadvertent violation of the Hatch Act by using federal equipment, it is important for those people to have outside resources provided by outside organizations, Stanzel said.
Stanzel was asked if there are RNC phone lines. He said he would check.
It was explained that after 2004, an individual would have to take two steps in order to delete an email. Stanzel said since 2004 the RNC has had a policy of excluding White House staff from their automatic deletion policy. He agreed that it was possible that records could have been lost. The WH Counsel's office is communicating with the RNC Counsel's office to see if any official business emails were lost and if they can be recovered.
Stanzel was asked how many emails were involved. He said he did not know. He was asked if some emails were deliberately deleted. Sometimes people delete emails to free up space, Stanzel said. He could not speak to motivations. Stanzel was asked how long it would take to recover the emails and turn them over to Congress. He said that process is just beginning.
It was stated that the President has spoken publicly about the potential to assert executive privilege in the US attorney matter because of the candid advice he says he needs to get from presidential advisors. Stanzel was asked if the White House believes that emails sent on RNC accounts would still be covered by executive privilege. Stanzel said he had not asked the attorneys.
Stanzel was asked why people would be writing about US attorneys on non White House email accounts. He replied that the guidance prior to this point has been clear: You should avoid inadvertent violations of the Hatch Act. Some employees, it seems out of an abundance of caution, sometimes out of logistical reasons, have communicated about official business on those political email accounts. He said he could not speak to the motivations of any individual.
Stanzel was asked if motivation would be looked into. He declined to describe the White House Counsel's work or the scope of their review.
Baghdad Bombing
Stanzel was asked if the President has been briefed on the suicide bombing, and how it could take place in the green zone. He said that the President has been briefed. The United States condemns the attack today. This attack demonstrates that the terrorists and extremists will go to great lengths to undermine the Iraqi government, a government that is working to bring peace and stability to the people of Iraq, as opposed to the death and destruction that the terrorists offer. The United States and Iraq cannot and will not let them succeed, Stanzel said.
Meeting with Democratic Leadership
Stanzel was asked whether, at next Wednesday's meeting with the Democratic leadership, the President is prepared to negotiate. He said the leaders have been invited to talk about how to get a war supplemental to the President's desk. They do not have the votes to override his veto. Sixty six days ago, the President sent up his request for emergency funding for the troops.
It has been weeks since he made it very clear that he will not accept a bill that ties the hands of commanders on the ground and mandates a withdrawal time. The President will not accept those conditions. Democrats largely have said they will not cut off the funds. The President looks forward to that conversation. We need to find a way to come together, and make sure the troops have the funding they need and the commanders have the flexibility they need to implement the policies.
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