I work at the State Dept. Let's talk email.

[burfman]

59. It's perhaps a little like trusting Nixon to give us a complete transcript of his tapes....

FOIA

from: http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/bulletins/2013/2013-03.html

4. Can email messages be Federal records?
Yes, email messages created or received in the course of official business are Federal records if they meet the definition mentioned above, and agency employees must manage them accordingly. Under NARA’s current policy and regulations, defined in 36 CFR 1236.22(a), agencies must issue instructions to staff on the identification, management, retention, and disposition of email messages determined to be Federal records. Employees who create a significant amount of permanent email records should consult with their records officer to determine the most effective way to manage them, including using NARA’s recent “Capstone” guidance, NARA Bulletin 2013-02, entitled “Guidance on a New Approach to Managing Email Records.”

5. What are agencies’ and agency employees’ recordkeeping responsibilities when the use of personal email accounts is authorized?
While agency employees should not generally use personal email accounts to conduct official agency business, there may be times when agencies authorize the use of personal email accounts, such as in emergency situations when Federal accounts are not accessible or when an employee is initially contacted through a personal account. In these situations, agency employees must ensure that all Federal records sent or received on personal email systems are captured and managed in accordance with agency recordkeeping practices. Agency policies and procedures must also ensure compliance with other statutes and obligations, such as FOIA and discovery.