# Computer crash loses 2 years of Lois Lerner emails **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 14, 2014, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-crash-loses-2-years-of-lois-lerner-emails/690759 "2014-06-14T06:51:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-crash-loses-2-years-of-lois-lerner-emails/690759/262 "2014-07-23T21:34:47Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Democrat party operatives Seriously? Do they have drinks with the “vast right-wing conspiracy” after work? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-crash-loses-2-years-of-lois-lerner-emails/690759/263 "2014-07-23T23:44:17Z")
Why was the testimony of the IT experts and IRS officials so at odds? The IRS claimed her hard drive was a total loss. The IT professionals said it wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-crash-loses-2-years-of-lois-lerner-emails/690759/264 "2014-07-23T23:52:39Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Guess what? It turns out [the e-mails still exist after all.](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/07/23/tale-tapes-irs-head-confirms-investigators-have-found-backup-tapes-in-lerner/) Apparently the backup tapes weren’t lost in some sort of comic misadventure, as the IRS officials initially claimed. > > Anyone want to bet that the invesigators sent around a message saying “Hey, we know one of you has the e-mails. First one to cough them up doesn’t get prosecuted”? Did you read your own cite? > [@](#): > > It is unclear whether the tapes in IG custody contain any Lerner emails, but Koskinen said investigators are now checking Something is wrong at the IRS, clearly. It’s gonna be amusing, though, to watch the guardians of Joe Taxpayer shit away a couple hundred million trying to make it stick to Obama. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-crash-loses-2-years-of-lois-lerner-emails/690759/265 "2014-07-23T23:54:28Z")
The money should be spent whether it goes to the President or not. Investigating wrongdoing or incompetence in the government bureaucracy is one of Congress’ vital roles. It’s also the President’s job, but I guess he’s too busy playing figurehead to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-crash-loses-2-years-of-lois-lerner-emails/690759/266 "2014-07-24T00:10:42Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Did you read your own cite? > > **Something is wrong at the IRS, clearly**. It’s gonna be amusing, though, to watch the guardians of Joe Taxpayer shit away a couple hundred million trying to make it stick to Obama. So you do believe \*\*something is wrong at the IRS? How do you think this knowledge of “something wrong” at the IRS has come to light? It certainly wasn’t aggressive investigative reporting by the NYT, Wapo, or CBS News; neither was it an aggressive investigation by the Demorcats, nor insider whistleblowing for the good of the Nation by those at the IRS. Nope, it was good old fashioned political partisanship. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-crash-loses-2-years-of-lois-lerner-emails/690759/267 "2014-07-24T18:59:08Z")
Yes, a trivial problem at the IRS that should have been handled internally. If the republicans want to go on witch-hunts, then the RNC should have to foot the bill. Now that would be fiscally responsible. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-crash-loses-2-years-of-lois-lerner-emails/690759/268 "2014-07-25T04:05:51Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Guess what? It turns out [the e-mails still exist after all.](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/07/23/tale-tapes-irs-head-confirms-investigators-have-found-backup-tapes-in-lerner/) Apparently the backup tapes weren’t lost in some sort of comic misadventure, as the IRS officials initially claimed. > > Anyone want to bet that the invesigators sent around a message saying “Hey, we know one of you has the e-mails. First one to cough them up doesn’t get prosecuted”? Just from that link you can see what the problem is. Once the high level muckety mucks get involved, a lot of things get lost in the translation. The low level computer people are saying the tapes were recycled. You can see in the link that the clueless higher ups equate that with recycling a soda can or otherwise destroying them. I’m pretty sure what the IT people mean is that the tapes are “reused” after six months. Probably a bad data retention period for executive emails, but a conspiracy is not needed to explain it. It is possible that even if the tapes were reused, all of the existing data may not have been written over. I suspect that is what they are looking into now. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-crash-loses-2-years-of-lois-lerner-emails/690759/269 "2014-07-25T04:11:17Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Yes, a trivial problem at the IRS that should have been handled internally. And since it wasn’t, it required Congressional oversight. As for the witch hunt, all it takes to avoid a witch hunt is to come clean. When you drag your feet, take the 5th, documents disappear, any Congress interested in doing the public’s business would take that as evidence that something is going on. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-crash-loses-2-years-of-lois-lerner-emails/690759/270 "2014-07-25T11:33:16Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > {…} As for the witch hunt, all it takes to avoid a witch hunt is to come clean. {…} Where “come clean” simply means admitting you are in fact a witch. CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-crash-loses-2-years-of-lois-lerner-emails/690759/271 "2014-07-25T11:52:36Z")
Or, give up the documents requested rather than hiding them. A business would be raked over the coals for “losing” or refusing to give documentation when requested. The government is not special or above the law. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-crash-loses-2-years-of-lois-lerner-emails/690759/272 "2014-07-25T12:45:10Z")
I bet if you take a poll after the election this year, the number of people who say that this “scandal” made them change their votes will be miniscule. Sure, it fires up the GOP base who always come out and vote in lockgoosestep anyway. But unless you’re a hard core tightie rightie, you won’t give two shits about it. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-crash-loses-2-years-of-lois-lerner-emails/690759/273 "2014-07-25T12:49:48Z")
IOW isnotisnotisnotisnotisnotisnotisnotisnot. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-crash-loses-2-years-of-lois-lerner-emails/690759/274 "2014-07-26T02:37:54Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I bet if you take a poll after the election this year, the number of people who say that this “scandal” made them change their votes will be miniscule. Sure, it fires up the GOP base who always come out and vote in lockgoosestep anyway. But unless you’re a hard core tightie rightie, you won’t give two shits about it. Unfortunately, voters rarely vote based on whether the government is working as it should. That’s why I don’t take seriously the idea that health care under government control is more accountable. The bureaucracy governing health care can be all kinds of dysfunctional and almost no votes will be moved by it because there’s no elected official to hold accountable and the public is already resigned to government incompetence. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-crash-loses-2-years-of-lois-lerner-emails/690759.md?page=13)