Pentagon chief used personal email account until December

[WhiteTara]

Source: ap

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Ash Carter used his personal email account for government business for nearly a year, until December 2015, when news reports revealed the practice, according to hundreds of Carter emails released by the Defense Department.

The 1,336 pages of emails and attachments from Carter's personal account were released late Friday in response to Freedom of Information Act requests by The Associated Press and other news organizations. None contained classified information, and most pertained to routine business such as scheduling and logistics.

The Pentagon has long banned the use of personal email for official business. Carter's use of his personal email account, starting when he took office in February 2015, was especially remarkable given the burst of public criticism that followed disclosures in March that Hillary Clinton had used a private email account exclusively to conduct government business while she was secretary of state.

When the New York Times was first to report Carter's use of a personal email account, on Dec. 17, Carter aides said his actions were a mistake and that he had quit the practice.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/pentagon-chief-used-personal-email-account-until-december-154624311--politics.html

[forest444]

1. Great. Maybe Hillary can choose him as her running mate.

[riversedge]

2. next up More Republican hearings

[CoffeeCat]

10. Did he set up a private, secret server like Hillary did

or did he just use a personal email account to send information?

Using a Gmail account is one thing.

Setting up a secret, private server in your home; a server that the President wasn't aware of--is a whole other can of worms.

And one that will get the FBI on your tail.

[Renew Deal]

3. This is a common practice in and out of the government

And I'm not sure what can be done about it. There is a human element to it.

[haikugal]

6. Yeah there is. They don't believe in transparency. (n/t)

[Renew Deal]

14. I don't think it's always about that.

It can be about convenience. There have been reports in the past that there was no mobile email in some of these cases and there was with personal email.

Personally I think it's unethical to run company business on personal mail mostly for security reasons and somewhat for transperancy. But I understand the convenience issues.

[haikugal]

18. The end result is the same. No transparency. (n/t)

[Wilms]

7. You're "not sure what can be done about it"??

I have an idea. Stick them in jail.

[Renew Deal]

15. most people would consider that excessive.

Especially if the discussion was about inane things like appointments and birthdays.

But it should be a fire-able offense to put confidential or extensive company business on personal email. Nothing is secure and especially not yahoo and gmail accounts.

[arcane1]

9. If I tried this at my job, I would be fired without hesitation. Seems like a good start n/t

[Renew Deal]

16. That's probably the best way to go but...

Would they fire your CEO over it? Would they fire someone for using it for non-confidential administrative tasks like ordering supplies and birthday plans?

[arcane1]

20. Rules are rules. Some people think the rules don't apply to them, but they do n/t

[Rex]

29. Too many people get to play above the rules and encourage others to do so as well.

The 'Greed is Good' generation is now eating us alive.

[jalan48]

4. Secret government demands private communication. FOIA no worry.

[arcane1]

5. If only there was a word for "private takeover of government operations" n/t

[jalan48]

8. This may be the unofficial "privatization" of our government.

Instead of asking why it is happening we turn into a pissing match of Us vs. Them, as if that makes it OK.

[bluedigger]

11. I'm told agency heads aren't subject to the same rules as the hoi polloi.

[FailureToCommunicate]

12. Unrec. This was reported over three months ago. How is it LBN?

Dec 17 2015:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/17/politics/ash-carter-personal-email/

[WhiteTara]

19. Sorry. It came through as an ap story and is dated today.

I didn't see it then.

[FailureToCommunicate]

22. No worries.

I got a bit worried that something new had come out about it.

[Rex]

30. First I've heard about it.

[Zira]

13. And this is why Hillary should be prosecuted for breaking the law even if she's a Dem.

nobody should get away with it.

[Renew Deal]

17. She didn't break the law

[madville]

26. The FBI has not reached a conclusion on that yet

They are investigating the 3 or 4 separate angles that we know about and will make their determination. Will she be indicted if the FBI refers her for prosecution? I doubt it. I think at the most some of her former aides will have to strike plea deals for misdemeanor charges of mishandling classified info, then Hillary can pardon them if she wins.

I think it really comes down to whether behind the scenes President Obama wants her to be the nominee or not (regardless of what he says publicly). Her future is really in his hands as far as what the DOJ does with the FBI's findings.

[840high]

27. yep

[man of few w]

21. See???

It's a nonstory!

[FailureToCommunicate]

23. It WAS a story, back when it came to light in December. But still not the same as

what Clinton did with her emails and private server.

[underpants]

24. The Fed. Govt's technology is woefully inadequate and is the theme for most stories

Hillary's server Condi's server Colin's server
The VA
The personal info breach of employees
The IRS hoax
Etc.

[Zira]

31. Are you defending this behavior?

The reason the Federal laws these people are breaking state that they can't have gov business on private accounts, includes because of prone to hacking as well as preventing fraud by hiding their dealings from the federal gov, and because we have a transparancy where in so many years all of their records become public. These people are ultimately frauding we the people with their secret dealings.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

35. Condo's server? Colin's server? You seem to have more information than everyone else does.

[DallasNE]

25. Did Carter Have Encryption Software On His Server?

If he did then why is this a big deal? If he didn't, why didn't he.

[Zira]

32. He's not supposed to have a private server.

Do you know when Nixon was getting impeached there was a very real fear inside the gov that he would not step down and try to take over our country?

[MariaThinks]

28. don't you just love witch hunts?

[Zira]

33. ?

Wow.

If the Republicans start doing this will you still support it?

Forget it. People who support this stuff belong on my ignore list.

[Sunlei]

34. state governers use personal email? didn't that one Gov even have a second *server in State house?

*secret server? his (was it Walker?) people took down when second secret server was revealed?

How about Romneys State computers he got rid of?

No one has ever had access to any of those 'official emails'? Plus the actual "State property' hard drives are 'missing' forever.