Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas) asked the National Security Agency on Friday to turn over all the metadata it has collected on the email accounts of former IRS official Lois Lerner from January 2009 to April 2011. Stockman’s clever move comes hours after the tax agency apparently claimed it had lost Lerner’s emails from that same time period due to a computer glitch.
AP
“I have asked NSA Director Rogers to send me all metadata his agency has collected on Lois Lerner’s email accounts for the period which the House sought records,” Stockman said in a press release. “The metadata will establish who Lerner contacted and when, which helps investigators determine the extent of illegal activity by the IRS.”
“The claim incriminating communications were erased by a glitch conjures memories of Rose Mary Woods,” the congressman added. “Barack Obama has brought us Jimmy Carter’s economy and Richard Nixon’s excuses.”
Congress requested all emails sent from Lerner to and from other IRS employees from early 2009 to April 2011. After promising to turn them over, the IRS said Friday it can’t find any of those emails.
Stockman isn't the only member of Congress who isn't buying the excuse. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) asked, "If there wasn’t nefarious conduct that went much higher than Lois Lerner in the IRS targeting scandal, why are they playing these games?"
TheBlaze has reached out to Frederick R. Chang, a recognized national expert in cyber security and SMU professor, to see if there are ways the emails "lost" due to a glitch or crash could be recovered. We will update this story should he respond.
Read Stockman’s letter to NSA Director Admiral Michael Rodgers below:
June 13, 2014
Admiral Michael S. Rogers
Director, National Security Agency
Fort Meade, MD 20755
Admiral Rogers:
First, thank you for your 33 years of, and continued service to, our country.
Second, as you probably read, the Internal Revenue Service informed the House Ways and Means Committee today they claim to “lost” all emails from former Exempt Organizations division director Lois Lerner for the period between January 2009 and April 2011.
According to chairman Camp, “The IRS claims it cannot produce emails written only to or from Lerner and outside agencies or groups, such as the White House, Treasury, Department of Justice, FEC, or Democrat offices” due to a “computer glitch.”
I am writing to request the Agency produce all metadata it has collected on all of Ms. Lerner’s email accounts for the period between January 2009 and April 2011.
The data may be transmitted to our Communications Director at Donny@mail.house.gov.
Your prompt cooperation in this matter will be greatly appreciated and will help establish how IRS and other personnel violated rights protected by the First Amendment.
Warmest wishes,
STEVE STOCKMAN
Member of Congress
