Is This White House Running an Outlaw Government?

 

IBDEditorials.com

Clandestine Government: The Associated Press has turned up a collection of secret email accounts used by White House appointees. Yet another dark wall is revealed in the most "transparent administration in history."

The Associated Press reports that the "scope of using the secret accounts across government remains a mystery," but is sure that "some" of President Obama's political appointees, including a Cabinet member — Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius — "are using secret government email accounts."

The reason more isn't known, according to the AP news service, is because "most U.S. agencies have failed to turn over lists of political appointees' email addresses, which the AP sought under the Freedom of Information Act more than three months ago."

Already we know that while she was the EPA administrator, Lisa Jackson used an email account in the fictitious name of Richard Windsor to hide her communications inside and outside of government.

Some of those emails have been seen by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, which sued for them under the Freedom of Information Act. But, according to CEI, the "EPA has refused to produce — or produced only heavily redacted — documents in response to virtually all (of senior fellow Chris) Horner's requests."

If this latest revelation rooted out by the AP isn't galling enough, a shakedown element is connected to this latest — yes — scandal: "The Labor Department initially asked the AP to pay more than $1 million for its email addresses."

Imagine that.

A Cabinet-level department agreeing to do its job if it's paid by an outside party to do so. It's a nice way to discourage requests that the public has a right to make.

It's quite clear that what we have is a government out of control.

At the same time that it's spying on journalists, it's trying to hide its operations from the public.

We don't think it goes too far to say the Obama administration is running an outlaw government.

Federal law prohibits the government from using private emails for official communications unless they are appropriately stored and can be tracked. Yet that appears to be a widespread practice of this administration. That's illegal, which defines outlaw behavior.

Less than four months ago — on Feb. 14 — Obama claimed during a Google Plus "Fireside" Hangout that his is "the most transparent administration in history."

This boast came after the revelation of the Richard Windsor emails and before he read about the IRS' boot on the neck of his political enemies in the newspapers.

It was also prior to the eruption of Obama's HHS fundraising scandal, and the public learning that the Justice Department was snooping on journalists.

Laughable at the time, Obama's claim is now just a reminder of his cynical and elitist disposition.

Maybe it's time America prepared a Declaration of Independence from Barack Obama. He's already done enough for the country.