WASHINGTON, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- The Bush White House knew about ongoing problems with its e-mail archiving system that allowed millions of e-mails to vanish, a U.S. watchdog group says.
The group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said in a report released Monday top White House officials were aware of the problems with the e-mail system but repeatedly refused to take corrective action.
"A democratic system of government requires transparency," Melanie Sloan, CREW executive director, said. "But the Bush administration prided itself on keeping secrets from the American people, ignoring federal records laws requiring White House e-mails be preserved for future generations".
"E-mails that might shed light on our nation's recent history -- including records created in the lead up to the U.S. war in Iraq -- have been wiped away," Sloan said.
The report is based on a review of Bush-era documents provided to CREW as part of their multiyear lawsuit over the missing e-mails. UPI
