Archives for 2015

CQ Researcher: Presidential Power

Read the full report: CQ Researcher 

Dan Epstein, executive director of the civic watchdog group Cause of Action, says Obama has “politicized the bureaucracy” by dictating agency actions. In August 2014, the group sued the Obama administration, alleging that white House attorneys interfere with the release of public documents in violation of the freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The practice is based on an April 15, 2009, white House memo directing general counsels at all executive agencies and departments to consult with white House counsel before complying with FOIA requests.

 

Epstein says the memo “allowed the white House to assert more control over the ways agencies control docu- ments that let the public know what the government is up to. It has chilled democracy, and done so in ways that have gone unchecked by Congress and the courts.” As a result, he says, agencies “are following laws dictated by the president rather than laws dictated by the people.”

Law360: Nonprofit Asks 7th Circ. To Revive FCA Chicago Transit Suit

Read the full story here: Law360

A government watchdog asked the Seventh Circuit on Wednesday to revive its False Claims Act suit against the Chicago Transit Authority for overbilling the government up to $55 million for bus usage, saying the nonprofit brought original, nonpublic information in the case.

 

Cause of Action, a Washington-based public interest group, said it was the first to blow the whistle on CTA for its allegedly fraudulent billing of the Federal Transit Administration for miles its buses traveled when they were not in service. U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow Jr. dismissed the suit in October, saying the group’s accusations were “substantially the same” as some that had been published elsewhere. But Cause of Action said Wednesday its 2012 complaint went further than the two earlier allegations, neither of which was made public.

IJ Review: 3 Federal Laws Hillary May Have Violated By Using Personal Email Accounts for State Business

Read the full story: IJ Review

Supporters of Hillary Clinton continue to ask the equivalent of ‘What difference does it make?’ with regard to the former Secretary of State’s use of a personal email account to conduct official State Department business.

 

Meanwhile, many investigative reporters are combing through federal rules and regulations to discover what criminal charges Clinton could face for her actions.

 

Executive Order 13526 and 18 U.S.C Sec. 793(f) of the federal code make it unlawful to send of store classified information on personal email. Casey Harper at The Daily Caller delved into this angle:

 

“‘By using a private email system, Secretary Clinton violated the Federal Records Act and the State Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual regarding records management, and worse, could have left classified and top secret documents vulnerable to cyber attack,’ Cause of Action Executive Director Dan Epstein said in an email to reporters.

 

‘This is an egregious violation of the law, and if it were anyone else, they could be facing fines and criminal prosecution.’”

Government Executive: GOP Tax Panel Chairmen Press for White House Emails in IRS Probe

Read the full story: Government Executive

In a coordinated effort between House and Senate Republicans, the chairmen of the two tax committees on Wednesday asked the Internal Revenue Service commissioner for emails and other documents that might indicate sharing of private taxpayer information between the Internal Revenue Service and the White House.

 

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, cited an earlier White House “refusal” to respond in a March 4 letter to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen.

 

The notion that White House officials looked at private taxpayer returns is also at the heart of an ongoing legal battle between the nonprofit transparency group Cause of Action and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

Documents Reveal A Culture Of Unlawful Email Use At The State Department Under Hillary Clinton’s Watch

Between 2010 and 2014, Inspectors General reports found a dozen separate instances where personal emails were being used inappropriately by State Department employees.

What this demonstrates is that a culture of unlawful email communications emerged at the State Department under former Secretary Hillary Clinton’s watch. Secretary Clinton likely drove this culture given her own use of personal email to conduct business.

In rare cases, those who violated regulations were held accountable. Yet, it’s unclear whether any action was taken to correct the widespread problem that permeated the agency.

Cause of Action President Dan Epstein released the following statement on the State Department IG’s findings:

“The failure of leadership and lack of accountability at the State Department is extremely troubling for advocates of transparency and good government. Not only did former Secretary Clinton violate record retention policies, she failed to effectively manage her department, leading to a pattern of neglect for the law by State Department employees.

 

What is the guidance Clinton’s leadership team provided to staff regarding record retention?

 

Why was guidance from the White House disregarded?

 

It is episodes like this that expose how many in government have lost sight of whom they are really accountable to: the American people.”

Background

Between 2010 and 2014, the Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of State Issued a Dozen Investigative Reports Finding Personal Emails Were Being Used Inappropriately by State Department Employees:

2014: “Inspection Of The Bureau Of Conflict And Stabilization Operations”

  • “CSO does not have a uniform process for the storage and organization of files. Files and records are stored in several locations, including the bureau’s network shared drive, SharePoint document libraries, personal emails, and hard drives. Furthermore, official records are not always dated or marked with appropriate classification markings. As a result, staff frequently commented on the challenge of locating needed documentation for specific office assignments and engagement activities. Staff also reported difficulty discerning what actions have occurred during a clearance or review process, and how to archive the records.” (“Inspection Of The Bureau Of Conflict And Stabilization Operations,” Office Of Inspector General For The U.S. Department Of State And Broadcasting Board Of Governors, 3/14)
  • CSO contracting officer’s representatives do not maintain working files for each contract that contain all the documents required by the Foreign Affairs Handbook (FAH), 14 FAH-2 H­ 517, in an easily accessible format. Contracting officer’s representatives keep emails and other materials on their personal computers instead of using shared drives or paper files. Without complete consolidated files, important contract information may be lost and the transition to a new contracting officer’s representative may be difficult.” (“Inspection Of The Bureau Of Conflict And Stabilization Operations,” Office Of Inspector General For The U.S. Department Of State And Broadcasting Board Of Governors, 3/14)
  • CSO’s IT group lacks basic information management and security documentation, including standard operating procedures, such as access control policies, account creation and email setup procedures, system backup and restore policies, and IT change control procedures. Without such documentation, IT operations function in an ad hoc manner resulting in a reactive approach to IT operations. The lack of documented processes can exacerbate staffing shortages and absences. Since 2011, CSO management has failed to correct this shortcoming.” (“Inspection Of The Bureau Of Conflict And Stabilization Operations,” Office Of Inspector General For The U.S. Department Of State And Broadcasting Board Of Governors, 3/14)

 

2013: “Inspection Of The Bureau Of Consular Affairs, Office Of The Executive Director”

 

2013: “Inspection Of The Bureau Of East Asian And Pacific Affairs”

  • “Bureau personnel are not maintaining and retiring official records in accordance with Department standards, including 5 FAM 414.4. EAP does not have established guidance and procedures for maintaining official records. EAP staff members store official records variously on personal drives, email folders, shared drives, and SharePoint. Bureau shared drive folders are not organized in accordance with Department guidance.” (“Inspection Of The Bureau Of East Asian And Pacific Affairs,” Office Of Inspector General For The U.S. Department Of State And Broadcasting Board Of Governors, 9/13)
  • “EAP is not making effective use of the record email function in the State Messaging and Archive Retrieval Toolset application. EAP’s desks and overseas missions exchange valuable reporting in daily official-informal messages and other emails. Many Washington end-users do not receive and cannot retrieve these messages. Offices that transmit information through email that must be preserved according to 5 FAM 443.2 are not using this system for creating and archiving record emails. Unless the bureau addresses this issue, important data needed for policy analysis and archival research will not be available in the future. Some bureau staff members are aware of this shortcoming and have tried to use record email, but they report it is too cumbersome and time-consuming to use.” (“Inspection Of The Bureau Of East Asian And Pacific Affairs,” Office Of Inspector General For The U.S. Department Of State And Broadcasting Board Of Governors, 9/13)

 

2012: “Inspection Of The Bureau Of Information Resource Management, Systems And Integration Office”

 

2012: “Inspection Of The Bureau Of Administration, Global Information Services, Office Of Information Programs And Services”

  • “Persistent neglect of fundamental leadership responsibilities and management practices has had profound consequences in IPS. The OIG team’s observations, discussions with IPS staff, and the responses to OIG’s questionnaires indicated an office with problematic morale, perceptions of favoritism, micromanagement practices, and confused lines of authority. Inspectors found failures of communication, lack of training, questionable staffing decisions, and poor time and attendance record keeping.” (“Inspection Of The Bureau Of Administration, Global Information Services, Office Of Information Programs And Services,” Office Of Inspector General For The U.S. Department Of State And Broadcasting Board Of Governors, 9/12)
  • “In 2011, for example, SMART captured 61,156 of an estimated 15 million record emails in the system that should be captured. The OIG team noted that confusion among Department employees and, in some cases, inadequate performance have resulted in an underuse of SMART’s record email function.” (“Inspection Of The Bureau Of Administration, Global Information Services, Office Of Information Programs And Services,” Office Of Inspector General For The U.S. Department Of State And Broadcasting Board Of Governors, 9/12)
  • “PRV participates in the Department’s Data Loss Prevention pilot, along with the Bureaus of Information Resource Management and Diplomatic Security. The pilot committee, formed in September 2009, works to determine possible solutions to the inappropriate use of sensitive information on email, mobile devices, and Web sites. PRV staff members assist with the development of policies and procedures for the Data Loss Prevention effort as it relates to privacy and participate in the analysis of identified incidents. The Data Loss Prevention pilot is ready to move forward as an established program within the Department; however, the Department has yet to determine where the program will reside and which bureau will have ownership of the tool. The pilot committee has discussed the possibility of PRV having ownership of the program. However, the OIG team does not agree with this plan. Although the Data Loss Prevention tool currently reviews data from a privacy perspective, its scope could easily be increased to include other information security elements, including law enforcement, financial, and consular functions—a fact confirmed by the pilot committee. The Chief Information Officer in the Bureau of Information Resource Management would be the appropriate owner of the program and tool, as that office is responsible for the information security program for the Department and administers many of the Department’s current information security programs.” (“Inspection Of The Bureau Of Administration, Global Information Services, Office Of Information Programs And Services,” Office Of Inspector General For The U.S. Department Of State And Broadcasting Board Of Governors, 9/12)

 

2012: “Inspection Of Embassy Lisbon, Portugal, And Constituent Posts”

  • “Embassy Lisbon has not maintained its files properly. Further, the political/economic section does not place work products in shared section folders. The Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM), in sections 5 FAM 433 a. and b., 5 FAM 443.2, 5 FAM 443.3, and 5 FAM 443.5, requires that material, including electronic mail records, is to be preserved as official records and retired in accordance with the appropriate records disposition schedule. Failure to maintain and organize work products impedes information retrieval. Retaining a large amount of work material in personal email folders is inefficient.” (“Inspection Of Embassy Lisbon, Portugal, And Constituent Posts,” Office Of Inspector General For The U.S. Department Of State And Broadcasting Board Of Governors, 9/12)

 

2012: “Inspection Of Embassy Madrid, Spain, And Constituent Posts”

  • “The Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) 5 FAM 433 a. and b, 5 FAM 443.2, 5 FAM 443.3, and 5 FAM 443.5 stipulate that material, including electronic mail records, is to be preserved as official records and retired in accordance with the appropriate records disposition schedule. Embassy Madrid has not maintained its files properly. Failure to maintain and organize work products correctly impedes information retrieval. Further, the political and economic sections do not place work products in shared section folders. Retaining a large amount of work material in personal email folders is inefficient.” (“Inspection Of Embassy Madrid, Spain, And Constituent Posts,” Office Of Inspector General For The U.S. Department Of State And Broadcasting Board Of Governors, 9/12)

 

2012: “Inspection Of Embassy Singapore, Singapore”

  • “During the inspection, a Department specialist instructed the embassy’s Leahy vetting officer to drop one of the eight checks done at the embassy because the vetting was being performed in the Department. The Leahy vetting officer is storing the results of the checks in her personal email folders, which are not being saved for 3 years or 10 years in accordance with Leahy vetting guidance.” (“Inspection Of Embassy Singapore, Singapore,” Office Of Inspector General For The U.S. Department Of State And Broadcasting Board Of Governors, 6/12)

 

2011: “Inspection Of Embassy Dili, Timor-Leste”

  • “Embassy Dili installed the State Messaging and Archive Retrieval Toolset (SMART) software system in July 2010, which features a “record email” function by which to archive emails. This function should be used for a significant number of emails relating to schedules for visitors, steps taken to implement programs, and policy related exchanges with Department offices and other agencies.” (“Inspection Of Embassy Dili, Timor-Leste,” Office Of Inspector General For The U.S. Department Of State And Broadcasting Board Of Governors,3/11)

 

2011: “Inspection Of Embassy Jakarta, Indonesia, And Constituent Posts”

 

2010: “Inspection Of Embassy Bangkok And Consulate General Chiang Mai, Thailand”

  • “According to 12 FAM 541 a., information that warrants control and protection from general public disclosure should be labeled Sensitive but Unclassified. According to Executive Order 12958 and 12 FAM 513.3, information that requires protection against unauthorized disclosure in the interest of national security shall be classified with appropriate designations and be transmitted through Department information systems.” (“Inspection Of Embassy Bangkok And Consulate General Chiang Mai, Thailand,” Office Of Inspector General For The U.S. Department Of State And Broadcasting Board Of Governors, 11/10)
  • “Neither Embassy Bangkok nor Consulate General Chiang Mai is implementing Departmental procedures on records management and annual retirement of files, as required by 5 FAM 414.5 and 5 FAH-4 H-113. Email messages that meet the definition of records in 5 FAM 443.2 a. are not preserved.” (“Inspection Of Embassy Bangkok And Consulate General Chiang Mai, Thailand,” Office Of Inspector General For The U.S. Department Of State And Broadcasting Board Of Governors, 11/10)
  • Prohibited Gifts: “During the inspection, the OIG team observed an email to PAS staff levying contributions to replenish a fund used in the section for morale purposes. A follow-up email by an officer only partially rescinded the request. The Code of Federal Regulations states in 5 CFR 2635.303 (f) that such contributions be given voluntarily. This section goes on to state that a contribution is not voluntary, unless it is made in an amount determined by the contributing employee or subject to the “event” exception. The email in question required each employee to contribute a set amount, in contravention of the restrictions contained in the CFR.” (“Inspection Of Embassy Bangkok And Consulate General Chiang Mai, Thailand,” Office Of Inspector General For The U.S. Department Of State And Broadcasting Board Of Governors, 11/10)

 

2010: “Embassy Riyadh And Constituent Posts, Saudi Arabia”

  • “Officers have not implemented Departmental procedures on information sharing and document management, as is required by Foreign Affairs Manual (5 FAM 400) and the Foreign Affairs Handbook (5 FAH-1 H-300). Instead, officers retain material in personal email folders that are not accessible to colleagues when an officer is out of the office, away on leave, or departs from post.” (“Embassy Riyadh And Constituent Posts, Saudi Arabia,” Office Of Inspector General For The U.S. Department Of State And Broadcasting Board Of Governors, 3/10)

The Daily Mail: Secrets of Clinton emails revealed

Read the full story: The Daily Mail

Cause of Action, a conservative watchdog group, accused Clinton on Thursday of ‘selectively’ turning over her correspondence to State, which it said is ‘disingenuous and entirely inadequate.’

Clinton’s request that State make public her emails ‘does nothing to address the key questions of whether official communications were deleted or whether sensitive classified information was put at risk,’ the group’s executive director, Dan Epstein, said in a statement.

‘Americans deserve a full investigation into whether evidence exists that official communications weren’t being reported for public records, but there may be no way to know for sure,’ Epstein said.

‘This is exactly why this kind of behavior is against the law. It belies the spirit of openness and transparency in government. It keeps the public in the dark, and it raises serious national security concerns.’

Washington Examiner: Inspector general found lots of personal email use in Clinton’s State Department

Read the full story: Washington Examiner

The State Department’s inspector general has uncovered a dozen instances of illegal email usage since 2010, revealing a pattern of email abuse that emerged in the years when Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State.

 

“Not only did former Secretary Clinton violate record-retention policies, she failed to effectively manage her department, leading to a pattern of neglect for the law by State Department employees,” said Daniel Epstein, executive director of the Cause of Action government watchdog non-profit, which compiled the reports.