While the story of Monti Te’o’s non-existent girlfriend dominated the news for most of the day, another caution against online aliases arose from Washington, D.C. Deadspin’s exposing of Teo’s imaginary sweetheart inspired a wave of ridicule, as did news last month that outgoing EPA administrator Lisa Jackson had sent 12,000 emails under the alias, “Richard Windsor.” Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) yesterday issued a letter reminding the outgoing Jackson not to leave D.C. before providing a list of all aliases used within the agency to conduct official business.
Secret email accounts at the @EPAgov? http://t.co/W08V7SG9
— Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) January 17, 2013
Why? @EPAgov Administrator Lisa Jackson has been using an alias email account, under the name Richard Windsor: http://t.co/W08V7SG9 #opengov
— Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) January 17, 2013
using "alias" email accounts to do official govt business creates serious problems for compliance w/ federal info laws: http://t.co/W08V7SG9
— Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) January 17, 2013
dummy email accounts used by top govt officials, to put it lightly, undercut the Freedom of Information Act too: http://t.co/W08V7SG9
— Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) January 17, 2013
My full letter to @EPAgov on evidence "alias" email accounts have been used for official business: http://t.co/opncM49j #opengov #foia
— Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) January 17, 2013
Why was outgoing EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson using an alias account under the name of "Richard Windsor" for official govt. business?
— Jason B. Whitman, OD (@JasonBWhitman) January 17, 2013
Why? Jackson’s “public” email account had allegedly become unwieldy, so the alias allowed her to communicate more efficiently internally.
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Issa’s primary concern is that any search of government email archives will be complicated when non-existent people are part of the mix. Issa’s letter asks Jackson to comply with the request for a list of fake email accounts by Jan. 29. “Richard Windsor” arose from the combination of Jackson’s favorite pet and her home town; we’ll be curious to see just how many imaginary friends Mr. Windsor had in the EPA.
Related:
Get your own #EPASecretEmailName, just like departing EPA chief Lisa Jackson
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