A federal court is taking the Bush White House to task on the issue of millions of apparently missing e-mails, saying the administration has failed in its obligation to safeguard presidential records.
In a four-page opinion issued Thursday, Magistrate Judge John Facciola (Fatch-ee-OH-la) says the White House has been ignoring his instructions to search for all electronic messages that may be missing.
The Executive Office of the President, the magistrate said, appears to be avoiding its legal obligation to ensure that electronic messages subject to the Presidential Records Act are preserved.
The court says there is a profound societal interest as well as a legal obligation to protect such records.
