The IRS Scandal, Day 788

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Report of Investigation, Exempt Organization Data Loss and Potential Obstruction of Justice:

The investigation determined that there were six possible sources to examine in order to potentially recover the missing e-mails. These sources were LERNER's crashed hard drive, the backup or disaster recovery tapes, a decommissioned Microsoft (MS) Exchange 2003 e-mail server, the backup tapes for the decommissioned e-mail server, LERNER's BlackBerry, and loaner laptop computers that may have been assigned to her while her laptop was being repaired. An examination of four of these sources, the backup or disaster recovery tapes, the decommissioned Exchange 2003 e-mail server, LERNER's BlackBerry, and the loaner laptops produced e-mail that the IRS had not previously produced to Congress, DOJ or TIGTA. The investigation also determined that once it was discovered that there was a gap in the IRS' production of LERNER's e-mail, the IRS did not fully identify as a source or perform recovery attempts for e-mail on the following electronic media, all of which the IRS had in their possession: backup or disaster recovery tapes, the decommissioned Exchange 2003 e-mail server, the backup tapes for the decommissioned e-mail server or the loaner laptop computers.  ...

The investigation also revealed that on or about March 4, 2014, one month after the IRS realized it was missing some of LERNER's e-mails, IRS employees in the IRS Enterprise Computing Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia (Martinsburg), magnetically erased 422 backup tapes that are believed to have contained LERNER's e-mails that were responsive to Congressional demands and subpoenas. However, the investigation did not uncover evidence that the IRS and its employees purposely erased the tapes in order to conceal responsive e-mails from the Congress, the DOJ and TIGTA. 

The investigation revealed that the backup tapes were destroyed as a result of IRS management failing to ensure that a May 22, 2013, e-mail directive from the IRS Chief Technology Officer (CTO) concerning the preservation of electronic e-mail media was fully understood and followed by all of the IRS employees responsible for handling and disposing of e-mail bStephen MANNING, former IRS Deputy Chief Information Officer, Strategy and Modernization.ackup media.  ...

When interviewed, [Terence MILHOLLAND, IRS Chief Technology Office] was asked if he knew that e-mail backup tapes from a decommissioned e-mail server had been degaussed in March 2014, MILHOLLAND stated that he was not aware of this, and he advised that he was "blown away" at the revelation. He further stated that IRS IT senior management was ultimately responsible. MILHOLLAND also stated that his May 2013 e-mail directive would have applied to preserving the NCFB backup tapes and that the organization that sent them to be destroyed would also be responsible for their destruction.

• Press Release From Elijah E. Cummings (Ranking Member, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform), New IRS Inspector General Report Finds No Evidence That Lerner Intentionally Crashed Computer or Concealed Emails From Investigators
• Bayou Buzz, IT Boss ‘Blown Away’ That IRS Backup Tapes in Lerner Case Erased, Watchdog Says
• The Blaze, IT Boss at IRS ‘Blown Away’ After Learning What Happened to Backup Tapes Likely Containing Lerner Emails: Report
• Fox News, IT Boss ‘Blown Away’ That IRS Backup Tapes in Lerner Case Erased, Watchdog Says
• Philadelphia Inquirer, Report: IRS E-mails Not Intentionally Erased
• Power Line, Extending Alinsky Rule 6
• U.S. News & World Report, Internal Report Finds No Evidence IRS Employees Told to Destroy Information

• The IRS Scandal, Day 787 (July 5, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 786 (July 4, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 785 (July 3, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 784 (July 2, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 783 (July 1, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 782 (June 30, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 781 (June 29, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 780 (June 29, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 779 (June 27, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 778 (June 26, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 777 (June 25, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 776 (June 24, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 775 (June 23, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 774 (June 22, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 773 (June 21, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 772 (June 20, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 771 (June 19, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 770 (June 18, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 769 (June 17, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 768 (June 16, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 767 (June 15, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 766 (June 14, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 765 (June 13, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 764 (June 12, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 763 (June 11, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 762 (June 10, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 761 (June 9, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 760 (June 8, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 759 (June 7, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 758 (June 6, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 757 (June 5, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 756 (June 4, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 755 (June 3, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 754 (June 2, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 753 (June 1, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 752 (May 31, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 751 (May 30, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 750 (May 29, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 749 (May 28, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 748 (May 27, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 747 (May 26, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 746 (May 25, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 745 (May 24, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 744 (May 23, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 743 (May 22, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 742 (May 21, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 741 (May 20, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 740 (May 19, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 739 (May 18, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 738 (May 17, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 737 (May 16, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 736 (May 15, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 735 (May 14, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 734 (May 13, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 733 (May 12, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 732 (May 11, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 731 (May 10, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Two Years And Counting (May 9, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 729 (May 8, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 728 (May 7, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 727 (May 6, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 726 (May 5, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 725 (May 4, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 724 (May 3, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 723 (May 2, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 722 (May 1, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 721 (Apr. 30, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 720 (Apr. 29, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 719 (Apr. 28, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 718 (Apr. 27, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 717 (Apr. 26, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 716 (Apr. 25, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 715 (Apr. 24, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 714 (Apr. 23, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 713 (Apr. 22, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 712 (Apr. 21, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 711 (Apr. 20, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 710 (Apr. 19, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 709 (Apr. 18, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 708 (Apr. 17, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 707 (Apr. 16, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 706 (Apr. 15, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 705 (Apr. 14, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 704 (Apr. 13, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 703 (Apr. 12, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 702 (Apr. 11, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 701 (Apr. 10, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 601-700 (Dec. 31, 2014 - April 9, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 501-600 (Sept. 22, 2014-Dec. 30, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 401-500 (June 14, 2014 - Sept. 21,2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 301-400 (Mar. 6, 2014 - June 13, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 201-300 (Nov. 26, 2013 - Mar. 5, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 101-200 (Aug. 18, 2013 - Nov. 25, 2013)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 1-100 (May 10, 2013 - Aug. 17, 2013)