Public has right to see most government e-mails, but what if they get erased first?
From the LA Times:
Laws in all but a handful of states give the public access to government e-mail. But what if that e-mail was intentionally deleted or routinely purged?In Hawaii, Gov. Linda Lingle's office allowed e-mails of her top aide to be purged. In North Carolina, Gov. Mike Easley's administration allegedly ordered state workers to delete their e-mail correspondence with his office. And in Missouri, lawsuits claim Gov. Matt Blunt's office deleted e-mails and ordered the destruction of backup e-mail tapes.These and other cases raise concerns that millions of public records in the form of e-mails may be disappearing before anyone outside government can read them.
Experts say e-mail archiving systems and better training for state employees will help ensure e-mail is not lost.