Deleted emails of former attorney general raise questions | Technology

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Legal professional Common Drew Wrigley claimed Friday in response to an open up records ask for that the electronic mail account of previous lawyer standard Wayne Stenehjem was deleted immediately after he died and the account and previous Main Deputy Legal professional Normal Troy Seibel was deleted just after he resigned.

Wrigley termed the transfer concerning but not illegal.

He claimed Stenehjem’s account was deleted by an employee in January, at Siebel’s course. Seibel’s account was deleted in May well, two months soon after Seibel give up following Wrigley’s mentioned programs to appoint his possess deputy, The Bismarck Tribune documented.

Democratic Household Vast majority Leader Josh Boschee said the situation demonstrates the have to have for “some sort of statute or plan to make absolutely sure we protect the integrity” of state officials’ email messages.

“The attorney general’s office is included with lots of legal matters on behalf of the point out and we see how numerous lawsuits they signal on to with other states … as properly as challenges with North Dakotans in the point out,” Boschee advised The Associated Push. “So you would consider we’d want to have entry to that info, irrespective of whether it is really to the gain or the detriment of the condition.”

Seibel explained to the Tribune that he does not recall a discussion about Stenehjem’s e-mail account. He also stated he had no management in excess of how his electronic mail account was managed right after he resigned.

The revelation arrived to light-weight when Wrigley had to reply to 3 open up data requests about a $1.8 million charge overrun on the lease for the lawyer general’s office environment when Stenehjem was in charge. Wrigley experienced to explain in his reaction why specific data was not obtainable.

Wrigley took place of work in February right after Gov. Doug Burgum appointed him to fill the remaining months of Stenehjem’s phrase. Stenehjem died Jan. 28 at age 68 from cardiac arrest.

Seibel mentioned the e mail accounts could have been deleted as regular procedure for when people today go away the business. Preserving each and every office file would pile up a lot more files to sift by way of for answering open up records requests, he added.