Nearly a year ago I posted a blog on the Bush Administration's attempt to not comply with a court ordered discovery of e-mails. In the blog entitled You Can Fight City Hall, I drew attention to the power of the courts in requiring compliance with e-mail records management mandates, "If such mandates can be successfully argued
against the While House, is there any doubt in your mind regarding the
ultimate fate your corporate e-mail management policy will meet? "
Well, apparently not everyone was listening. "City Hall" once again
tried to circumvent e-mail retention policies, and this time I am
embarrassed to say it is my own City Hall, Boston.
Questions were raised after a public records request by the Boston Globe
unearthed only 18 e-mails to or from mayor Menino's top, Mr. Kineavy, between Oct. 1. 2008 and
March 31 2009. Apparently Kineavy
deleted hundreds of work e-mails before they were archived - a
violation of laws regulating public records - which yes include email. Menino stated
that the deleted emails were a "glitch" in the system
and
"sometimes technology breaks down." A glitch? This city famous for its
high-tech industry and research was not going to swallow this. A
glitch? Could you imagine how city officials would react if the
glitch were on the other foot. Oh I am sorry mister Mayor, I would have
paid my taxes, but there must have been a glitch in my laptop andonline banking system.
The City of Boston has done the right thing though (article). It has seized Kineavy's computer and hired outside experts in e-mail management.
It amazes me when the governments that are behind the compliance laws that are at the root of corporate records compliance,
ignore those rules and practices themselves. But it is encouraging that
we have public officials that apply the same letter of the law no matter the owner of the records. It is also exciting to know that the ECM industry provides the means with which to control such situations.
Many eyes will be watching as the drama unfolds and once again ECM technologies will be part of the center stage - at least to ECM geeks like me.
