Gwb43.com
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- The correct title of this article is gwb43.com. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.
gwb43.com is a private Internet server, owned by the Republican National Committee,[1] which is used by employees of the federal government of the United States for various communications of unknown purpose. The domain name is an acronym standing for "George W. Bush, 43rd" President of the United States. The server came to light during the dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy when it was discovered that J. Scott Jennings, the White House's deputy director of political affairs, was using a gwb43.com e-mail address to discuss the firing of the U.S. attorney for Arkansas.[2] Communications by federal employees were also found on georgewbush.com and rnchq.org, but unlike these two servers, gwb43.com has no Web server connected to it-- it is used only for e-mail.[3]
The domain name was publicized by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, who sent a letter to Oversight and Government Reform Committee committee chairman Henry A. Waxman requesting an investigation.[4] Waxman sent a formal warning to the RNC, advising them to retain copies of all e-mails sent by White House employees. According to Waxman, "in some instances, White House officials were using nongovernmental accounts specifically to avoid creating a record of the communications."[5]
[edit] Use by major White House staff
According to a former White House official, Karl Rove used RNC-hosted addresses for roughly "95 percent" of his e-mail.[6]
White House deputy Jennifer Farley told Jack Abramoff not to use the official White House system because "because it might actually limit what they can do to help us, especially since there could be lawsuits, etc."[2] Abramoff responded, "Dammit. It was sent to Susan on her RNC pager and was not supposed to go into the WH system."[7]
[edit] References
- ^ The Guardian. White House Says It Still Backs Gonzales. 25 March 2007.
- ^ a b Washington Post. GOP Groups Told to Keep Bush Officials' E-Mails. 27 March 2007
- ^ http://www.gwb43.com/
- ^ CREW. CREW ASKS FOR HOUSE INVESTIGATION INTO WHITE HOUSE VIOLATIONS OF PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS ACT. 15 March 2007.
- ^ The Hill. Waxman wants RNC, Bush campaign to preserve e-mails. 26 March 2007
- ^ washingtonpost.com. The Rovian Theory. 23 March 2007
- ^ Financial Times. Aides to Bush told not to destroy e-mails. 26 March 2007
