Rove can only delete his emails, not the recipient's

[tinrobot]

Email is a two way medium, so there's always two copies -- the sender and the recipient each get a copy of the email. This means Rove can delete an email on his side, but there's always another copy of the email in the recipient's mailbox that he can't delete.

So, even if Rove deletes every email he ever sent, each one of those emails still has a copy floating around somewhere that he can't delete.

Subpoena all likely recipients and I bet you'll find those missing emails.

[King Coal]

1. What about backup tapes or image files?

[Monkeyman]

2. Beat Me To It

[CottonBear]

7. That's probably why Bush & Rove were in Chattanooga recently: to visit the GWB43 server owner

(who just happens to live in the little suburb, Signal Mountain, of Chattanooga where I grew up. I would bet my mom knows who he is since it's a very small town.)

and work with him to delete and erase all traces of the RNC and private White House e-mails.

There could be no other reason for them to suddenly go to Chattanooga except for that reason, IMHO.
There are no upcoming elections, Bob Corker just won the Senate seat and they don't need to fundraise with the wealthy elite of Chattanooga at this particular time.

I'm just sayin' ...

[garybeck]

3. there is technology

to make an email "disappear" even on the recipient's local machine after some time. I've heard commercials for it, but I don't know much about it. If it does exist, I wouldn't be surprised if Rove was using it.

[valerief]

4. Aren't these on the NSA's spy servers? nt

[zulchzulu]

5. It looks like Rove's lack of IT skills may be his undoing...

Three things:

1. As you mentioned, email that is sent to someone has it on their computer
2. Email goes through a series of servers that hold the email
3. Backups of data on both the servers sent as well as the trail of servers delivered contain the emails

Subpoena the server logs and backup tapes as well as the recipients. It's a no brainer.

[aquart]

That's true for blackberries, too?

Because they say he did everything on his blackberry.

[zulchzulu]

13. Yep...the only difference is Blackberries are wireless

They still have to go through an email server...Blackberry email services still have to go through MAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) and SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) email protocols. What that means in plain English is that while you might look coolio with your Blackberry gittin' all wireless, your email still has to go through an email server, which is a box plugged into a wall.

And they have hard drives...and if the IT has any brains, they have backup tapes or a system to back up files.

Rove is toast (knock on pen pocket protector)...

[NightWatcher]

6. it's all about the servers. They need to seize the servers

They can get the Congress to subpoena the servers and take physical custody of them. Then they can have some 15 year old whiz kids crack them open and get the emails that are inside.

[C_U_L8R]

9. and don't forget the backup tapes !

for example, if Rove deleted emails on a Wednesday,
they'd still on Tuesdays backup tape (at both the host
and the recipient's ISPs as well as local networks)

[thereismore]

8. I can hear the screams: Fishing expedition! I don't think you can

subpoena the "likely" recipients. It's too broad, possibly unconstitutional.

[ejbr]

10. What if they only subpoenaed Rove's emails?

If a crime has been committed and the suspect got rid of the evidence, wouldn't a judge authorize the prosecution to obtain the records, only from Karl Rove, from the recipients? If police can execute search warrants in the apartment of room mates, one of whom is a suspected criminal, by searching any and everything (even the innocent party's belongings), then Rove's recipients should have no leaway.

[thereismore]

14. maybe, maybe. nt

[ejbr]

15. if not, I will need to wrap a towel around my head to limit its explosion n/t

[sandrakae]

11. Yea, but he can call his cronie down in the server room and have it removed off the server.

[CottonBear]

12. See post #7. n/t