In an explosive revelation to Judicial Watch late on Friday, Justice Department attorneys admitted that the federal government backs up everything in case of a catastrophe, and that included the missing Lois Lerner emails.

The watchdog group that was among those improperly scrutinized by the Internal Revenue Service was told the stumbling block had been the backup system was too onerous to search, The Hill reported.

“This is a jaw-dropping revelation,” said Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton. “The Obama administration had been lying to the American people about Lois Lerner’s missing emails. There are no “missing” Lois Lerner emails – nor missing emails of any of the other top IRS or other government officials whose emails seem to be disappearing at increasingly alarming rate. All the focus on missing hard drives has been a diversion. The Obama administration has known all along where the email records could be – but dishonestly withheld this information. You can bet we are going to ask the court for immediate assistance in cutting through this massive obstruction of justice.”

However, an Obama administration official cognizant of Friday’s conversation responded that Judicial Watch was mischaracterizing the information, and misinterpreting it. He said that lawyers from Justice were only referring to tapes routinely recycled before 2013, prior to the conservative groups-targeting investigation.

“There is no newly divulged backup system that was not previously known about,” he said, echoing exactly what Nixon administration officials contended until Alexander Butterfield popped the cork on that bottle. “Government lawyers were simply referring to the backup system at the IRS that Commissioner Koskinen had already disclosed,” according to The Hill.

Fitton called that “malarkey,” saying that Justice attorneys also admitted that the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) was investigating this back-up system.

Presiding Judge Emmet G. Sullivan suggested to Judicial Watch to submit its request for limited discovery into Lerner’s missing emails after September 10.

Burger King throws down gauntlet to White House, dares them to take action

• Author
• Recent Posts

Richard Berkow

Former political news reporter Richard Berkow lost his idealism in the Kennedy years, and his innocence in Vietnam, Lebanon, and the Soviet Union. He hasn’t mellowed since, and can be harassed at [email protected]

Latest posts by Richard Berkow (see all)

• New campaign ad sees national security as a game-changer: ‘Vote as if your life depends upon it’ - September 11, 2014
• McCain pounds Jay Carney over president’s Iraqi blundering: ‘You don’t have the facts!’ - September 11, 2014
• White House denies family’s claim Sotloffwas ‘sold’ to ISIS by ‘US-friendly moderates’ - September 10, 2014

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.