Ashton Carter Used Personal Email Account For Official Work

[SoCalDem]

http://www.ibtimes.com/us-defense-secretary-ashton-carter-used-personal-email-account-official-work-report-2229607

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter used his personal email account for at least two months to send work-related emails, a practice that violates the rules of the Department of Defense, the New York Times reported. The revelations follow a similar controversy involving Hillary Clinton when she was the secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. The Times report cited White House and Department of Defense officials, as well as copies of Carter’s emails obtained by it. It was not clear when Carter stopped using his personal email account, but White House chief of staff Denis R. McDonough got to know about Carter's practice in May, an official told the Times. McDonough then asked White House Counsel’s Office to get in touch with the Defense Department to question Carter’s move.

“After reviewing his email practices earlier this year, the secretary believes that his previous, occasional use of personal email for work-related business, even for routine administrative issues and backed up to his official account, was a mistake,” Peter Cook, a spokesman for Carter told the Times, adding: “As a result, he stopped such use of his personal email and further limited his use of email altogether.” It was not clear how many emails Carter sent or received, but the revelation about another top government official using personal email may lead to further attacks from the Republicans, who could question the lax safeguards on sensitive government information following Clinton's email scandal.

The Times filed a Freedom of Information Act in September to gather details on all the emails Carter sent or received from his personal account. The Defense Department released 72 official emails in November that were sent or received by Carter. The emails also showed that he was sending and receiving mails from his Chief of Staff at the time, Eric Fanning, and other top government officials on their official email addresses. According to the Times report, all government officials occasionally use their personal emails for work, but Carter used his personal account to email his close aides about a variety of work, including speeches, meetings and news media appearances. One such email, cited by the Times, showed Carter discussing how he accidentally placed a notecard in a “burn bag,” which is used to destroy classified information.

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[yeoman6987]

1. Ok. Basically either the DOD, State and other agencies are going to have to

decide if this is a real problem or not. And if it is. They will have to sit each new executive that under no circumstances will you use private email. But really mean it so it sticks.

[TwilightGardener]

7. Ass Carter has been at the Pentagon much of his adult life as a bureaucrat.

He knows perfectly well what the rules are. He chose not to follow them. Obama should demand his resignation.

[yeoman6987]

8. Did not know that. Now that I do. I agree.

[merrily]

2. Did he use his own personal server? Is he running for President?

Did he decide which emails to furnish and which not to furnish, then wipe the server>

I really don't want to harp on Hillary's emails, but I do want to point out that all email stories are not identical.

[atreides1]

4. None of that matters!

He violated the rules of the Department of Defense!

And it's the violations of those rules, that matter!

And no I'm not a Clinton supporter!

[merrily]

5. Makes no difference whom you support. It seems odd that all these email stories

are suddenly news (with people treating them as though every email story is equivalent to every other email story).

I have never done an email story OP, but I will point out false equivalencies when someone else does an email OP.

[OnyxCollie]

3. Oversight is passé. nt

[TwilightGardener]

6. He took office at the same time Clinton's server and email practices blew up in the news.

And was apparently so fucking arrogant that he figured the same scrutiny and rules wouldn't apply to him--his own staffers fretted about him being hacked. Brilliant hire, Obama.