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View Full Version : (former AR gov) Huckabee left computers, fund gutted




zimv20
Jan 19, 2007, 05:51 PM
arkansas democrat-gazette (http://www.nwanews.com/story.php?paper=adg&section=News&storyid=179261)


Former Gov. Mike Huckabee depleted the governor’s office emergency fund in the final weeks of his administration in part to pay for the destruction of computer hard drives in his office.

That left Gov. Mike Beebe, who replaced Huckabee on Jan. 9, with no emergency funds for the last half of fiscal 2007.

Documents that the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, describe the destruction of the computer drives, as ordered by Huckabee’s office, and Huckabee complaining strongly about his cell phone and Blackberry not working.

A memo dated Jan. 9 from a state Department of Information Systems official to Huckabee told of the “disposition of data maintained” by the department “for the office of the governor” during Huckabee’s tenure.

“All drives have been subsequently crushed under the supervision of a designee of your office,” wrote Gary Underwood, the agency’s chief technology officer and a former Huckabee staff member.

Beebe has asked the Legislature to replenish the $ 500, 000 emergency fund, but a legislative committee has so far rejected his request.

On Jan. 3, the Department of Information Systems requested $ 25, 000 from the governor’s office “for the closeout of information systems for the office of the governor.”

Huckabee on Jan. 5 sent the department the last $ 13, 000 in the emergency fund, leaving an outstanding balance of $ 12, 000. The $ 13, 000 would be used to help pay for crushing the hard drives.

Department of Information Systems Director Claire Bailey said hard drives for 83 computers and four servers were destroyed, or “crushed,” after information was downloaded onto backup tapes. Underwood supervised it and delivered the backup tapes to Huckabee Chief of Staff Brenda Turner, who had ordered the hard drives crushed, Bailey said.

She said the computers were located in the state Capitol; the state’s Washington, D. C., office; the state police airport hangar; the Governor’s Mansion; and the Arkansas State Police drug office.

(more)

hmmm... don't those drives and data belong to the people of AR?



WildCowboy
Jan 19, 2007, 05:54 PM
hmmm... don't those drives and data belong to the people of AK?

I would think so...must have been quite the emergency.

(Oh, and the postal abbreviation for Arkansas is AR.)

apfhex
Jan 19, 2007, 05:55 PM
Er, and so why did he do that? :confused:

zimv20
Jan 19, 2007, 06:14 PM
(Oh, and the postal abbreviation for Arkansas is AR.)
!!!!!!

i never was very good at those. i liked 'em better when it was stuff like Ark, Ill, Ind, ....

Desertrat
Jan 20, 2007, 09:07 AM
There was a news article a couple of days ago about incoming state legislators in Pennsylvania discovering that all information had been deleted from the office computers of some of the exiting legislators. Ergo, no background info on recent and pending legislation, etc.

Revenge, possibly...

'Rat

iJon
Jan 21, 2007, 05:39 PM
Hmm, I must have missed that in the paper the other day. It is kind of odd that he was having those drives crushed, wonder if he has some skeletons or something. I'll keep you guys posted if I find out anything interesting.

jon

solvs
Jan 23, 2007, 03:54 AM
If anyone wants to make the comparison to the thing with Clinton's staff stealing keys off the keyboards before Bush's staff came in, this doesn't come anywhere close. Plus, that turned out to be made up. Something about this doesn't sit right with me, for obvious reasons. First of all, the computers are owned by the state, being paid for by tax payer money. If they did have to be destroyed, they should have been replaced. And they should have had to prove they contained classified information. If not, and actually even if so, some of those things on those computers should have been public record.

Wondering what they had to hide.