Tuesday, March 27, 2007

A small legal question!

by Basheert @4:35 PM MDT

Just to fling this out and see if anyone can answer this for me. Within those thousands of pages of emails, it was shown that many involved were utilizing outside email addresses at the domain site owned by the RNC. Is email using outside web servers protected by Executive Privilege? If you utilize an external email address, can you claim Privilege once it leaves a secure server?

I genuinely would like an opinion on this issue, from someone who might actually know how this might work.

I understand that Yahoo and Hotmail were also used as external email servers. How can that information be privileged if it is held on a server that is not internally controlled and the information could be available to their IT people?

HELP please?

5 comments:

Suzie-Q (S-Q) said...

Basheert:

I would suggest emailing CREW and ask them.. Perhaps, they are already working on it?! ;)

KitNeill said...

Basheert,
Wow, that's interesting news - I've been away and am catching up. I'm sure they will say their position not their email address can claim Exec Priv, as for instance when emailing from home to someone in office.

But there is no expectation of privacy in any email - it's been the email trail that's been bringing many down - hard to say you knew nothing when an email says you did.

As for the concept of Exec Priv - just ask Nixon how well that worked.

It's an ongoing battle, the power of the presidency versus the right of the people to know.

It'll be interesting to see how it plays out because the rules on this are not established.

Suzie-Q (S-Q) said...

But there is no expectation of privacy in any email - it's been the email trail that's been bringing many down - hard to say you knew nothing when an email says you did.
--------------
Kit & Basheert:

That's it exactly! ;)

Anonymous said...

Basheert:

See: truthout.org/docs_2006/032607R.
shtml

Basheert said...

Thanks for all your input - it is my understanding that Exec Priv covers communications between the PRESIDENT and his advisors, not between people and those outside the white house.
The use of outside email servers I'm sure will be addressed. You cannot park email on a public or privately owned and NOT secure server and invoke privilege I don't believe.
This outta be fun!