Judge orders White House to retain e-mails

A federal judge ordered the White House not to destroy any backup computer tapes of its e-mail, pending civil litigation...

A federal judge ordered the White House not to destroy any backup computer tapes of its e-mail, pending civil litigation, seeking to learn more about what happened to a trove of messages missing from a two-and-a-half year period earlier in the Bush presidency.

The Bush administration had opposed such an order, arguing that the White House administrative office already is preserving backup tapes in its possession. But US district judge Henry H Kennedy Jr issued the formal order, which carries contempt penalties if violated.

“We will study the court’s order,” said White House spokesperson Scott Stanzel. “However, the Office of Administration has been taking steps to maintain and preserve backup tapes for the official e-mail system… We will continue preserving the tapes in compliance with the court’s order.”

The order stems from the disappearance of possibly millions of e-mails sent and received by aides to President Bush from March 2003 to October 2005. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington — a watchdog group that has been critical of the administration — has said it was told by internal sources that the White House determined that at least 5 million from that period were not saved as required by law.

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