Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch used a fake name to conduct official Department of Justice (DOJ) business in agency emails obtained by Judicial Watch. Lynch used the alias Elizabeth Carlisle in emails she sent from her official DOJ account.
The DOJ explained it was necessary to “protect her security and privacy and enable her to conduct Department business efficiently via email.”
Obama’s EPA administrator, Lisa Jackson, used the alias Richard Windsor in a government email account to conduct official business and communicate with staff. She resigned over the scandal.
The fake name issue came up after Judicial Watch requested records as part of an investigation into the Obama administration’s involvement in a United Nation’s international law enforcement coalition called Strong Cities Network (SCN).
The purported mission of the coalition was to build community resilience to counter violent extremism.
Americans found out about the U.S.’s participation in SCN when Lynch announced it during a U.N. speech on September 29, 2015.
Lynch referred to SCN as a “truly groundbreaking endeavor” and assured the UN that the Obama administration was committed to the initiative.
Following the Attorney General’s U.N. remarks, The New York Daily News reported that New York City was joining a new global, terror-busting network to combat homegrown extremism. Civil rights groups denounced U.S. participation, expressing concerns about law enforcement abuses against Muslims.
Judicial Watch filed a FOIA request with the DOJ on October 15, 2015 for documents related to SCN:
- legal opinions and analysis prepared by the DOJ relating to the U.S. involvement in the program
- documents that form the foundation for the decision to participate in SCN
- international agreements and related records involving the commitment of U.S. resources or personnel to SCN
- records of communication between officials in the Office of the Attorney General relating to the initiative.
The DOJ claimed to have no records related to the SCN and billed Judicial Watch $50,000 to conduct the search.
However, the DOJ recently furnished documents regarding the SCN with Lynch’s fake name on it. The records provided were part of Judicial Watch’s original 2015 FOIA request.
The newly delivered records also show that then Assistant Attorney General John Carlin touted SCN at an event sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a leftist group.
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