Corbett's Appointed Atty Gen Started Mass Scrubbing of Emails after Sandusky Investigation Got Hot

[JPZenger]

Last edited Sat Feb 15, 2014, 02:03 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.meadvilletribune.com/local/x488691199/Pennsylvania-Attorney-Generals-Office-started-dumping-emails-sooner-in-midst-of-grand-jury-probe-of-Jerry-Sandusky

Current PA. Attorney General Kane has been investigating why it took the PA. Attorney General's office 2.5 years to file any charges against Sandusky from the time the Attyn General's office was given full responsibility for the case. The Atty Gen during most of that time with Tom Corbett, the current Governor.

Recently, Kane announced that the investigation had been seriously delayed because they could not gain access to emails and other written records from the PA. Attorney General's office during that time.

Now, it is revealed that when the Sandusky investigation suddenly got hot in early 2011, and they realized the extent of the scandal and their screw-ups, the then-Attyn General William H. Ryan changed the email retention policy of the office. Instead of keeping all emails for 5 years, they would be deleted after only 6 months. This was at a time they finally got around to actually driving to State College and looking at Penn State's files, and then putting Penn State officials before a grand jury. At that time, the AG realized that things were about to get very very embarrassing for everyone concerned.

When this massive quick email scrubbing policy went into effect, Ryan had just been appointed by Corbett to be Acting Attyn Gen. after Corbett took office. Ryan had served as Corbett's top deputy AG for years. Later that year, Ryan was then appointed by Corbett to a cushy $165,000 a year job on the State Gaming Board.

Excerpts of link:

"Ryan said the decision to change to a six-month retention period was done to save money...."

After Kane was elected, ... the attorney general’s office halted the six-month deletion policy at Kane’s request.

Kane has said she’s limited in what she can say about the case because information must be vetted by the supervising judge for the grand jury that recommended charges against Sandusky and three Penn State administrators....

The practice of deleting emails after a set period of time seems to contradict practices at most state agencies."

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http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/02/penn_state_alum_raises_15k_tow.html

At the same time, Penn State alums have been donating to a legal fund to sue to get communications released related to Sandusky. Their targets include Corbett's former education secretary, who sat on the Penn State board.

[livetohike]

1. Was "done to save money". LOL....yeah, cause archiving your e-mails costs a lot

I cannot wait to see the end of this! Thankfully, we have a good Attorney General now.

[leftieNanner]

4. But...But...But...

All those emails! All those boxes you have to keep! And all those trips up and down the stairs to lug the boxes into the basement! ..... to quote Homer... D'OH!

[JPZenger]

12. Yes, computer storage is so very expensive.

I bet they would have needed to build a couple new storage buildings if they had not deleted those pesky emails after 6 months.

[femmocrat]

2. What a surprise.

Imagine an Atty. General NOT keeping potential evidence. Let's hope that directive came from the top.

Go, Kane, go!!!

[MyOwnPeace]

3. Hopefully...........

this is yet another reason for PA to realize Tom Corporate should be a 1-term person! (but it's hard to have faith - the elected him the first time!)

[benld74]

5. Obstruction of Justice, pure and simple

[Diclotican]

6. JPZenger

JPZenger

The funny thing, is that even scrubbed emails can be recovered at least partly recovered - even commercial available programs who everyone can buy can recover 95 percent of every email who is saved in any form on a computer or server...

The only way to really make it so, that you never will be able to recover an email, is by destroying the hard rive it was on - then you might be covered when it come to this things...

Diclotican

[riqster]

8. Even that won't work, if your organization does backups.

Here's hoping.

[JPZenger]

9. The good news is: Kane says they think they can recover them

AG Kane put out a press release saying that the emails appeared to be destroyed, but that they may have discovered an alternative way to recover them. I bet a college intern figured it out.
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When the Bonusgate investigations by Corbett were targeting Dems, Corbett was under pressure to start investigating Republicans who were doing the exact same thing. Around that same time, the Republican Caucus replaced all of their computer hard drives.

"Corbett spent all of his time investigating the House Democrats, indicted Democrats before the election, and now has been walking backwards rapidly on whether or not he will charge Republicans.

In the meantime, the House Republicans took the cue from Corbett and destroyed all of the hard drives before Corbett could politely and belatedly ask for them. "

http://casablancapa.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html

[Diclotican]

10. JPZenger

JPZenger

That is always good news - that it is possible to recover the emails - and maybe sort out who did what - when and why...

To "replace" all the hard rives just in time for an investigation is maybe the same as telling that something is amiss ...

Diclotican

[msanthrope]

7. Get 'em, Kathleen! nt

[JPZenger]

11. Much more about the botched State investigation of Sandusky

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10745299

This case was NOT handled like any other child molester investigation.