Why Scott Jennings Used Unofficial White House Email Address

Why is Karl Rove deputy Scott Jennings using gwb43.com e-mail domain name and not an official White House email address? Jennings was involved in the email exchange to promote fellow Rove aide Tim Griffin to be a U.S. Attorney. Congressman Henry Waxman is looking into the matter.

"We're a go for the U.S. atty plan. WH leg, political and communications have signed off and acknowledged that we have to be committed to following through once the pressure comes," Jennings wrote in an e-mail from the gwb43.com domain name. Sampson noted in a related e-mail that "getting him appointed was important to" Rove, then-White House Counsel Harriet E. Miers and other officials.

The gwb43.com account, and others like it, have been traced to the Republican National Committee computer servers, Waxman's staff said.

What hurts the White House is since these emails weren't on official White House addresses; the case of executive executive privilege is harder to make. The use of nonofficial White House email is a violation of the Presidential Records Act.

Defines and states public ownership of the records

The President can shield some documents from the public. Since these emails are not official White House documents and are the focus of a Congressional investigation that isn't possible. The White House screwed themselves trying to get around the law.

Update: The Los Angeles Times posted a correction.

White House e-mail: An article in Monday's Section A on White House use of a private e-mail system incorrectly attributed to Scott Jennings, a deputy to senior advisor Karl Rove, an e-mail on that system saying, "We're a go for the U.S. atty plan. WH leg, political and communications have signed off and acknowledged that we have to be committed to following through once the pressure comes." The e-mail was written by Deputy White House Counsel William Kelley using a White House e-mail account.

Sorry about that, people.