House Oversight Ranking Member presses White House for info on staffers' use of personal e-mails

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) is accusing the White House of stonewalling congressional efforts to get details surrounding the use of personal emails by senior presidential advisers, including senior adviser Jared Kushner. Rep Cummings said that White House officials who briefed committee staff on Oct 18 revealed “several” White House aides have acknowledged using personal emails for official duties — an apparent violation of the Presidential Records Act — but refused to name the offenders.

Rep Cummings is asking Oversight Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-SC) to sign onto a letter requesting the information by Oct. 26, and to issue subpoenas if the White House fails to comply. Although Chairman Gowdy had endorsed such a bipartisan request in Sept — and purportedly intends to issue such a request for other agencies outside the White House — Cummings said his refusal to press the issue inside the White House amounts to dereliction of duty on the part of the committee.