Dozens more White House officials used e-mail accounts set up by the Republican National Committee than the Bush administration has previously acknowledged, a House investigative panel said.At least 88 White House officials, including senior political adviser Karl Rove, former Chief of Staff Andy Card, and former political director Ken Mehlman used the accounts extensively, according to a report by the House oversight panel. The White House had earlier acknowledged the use of 50 such accounts.
The e-mail accounts were used for official purposes, such as communicating with federal agencies, and by law should have been preserved, the report said. The committee has been investigating the disappearance of administration e-mails and whether White House officials used outside e-mail accounts to avoid requirements of public-records disclosure laws.
``This should be a matter of grave concern for anyone who values open government and the preservation of an accurate historical record of the decision-making process inside the White House,'' said Representative Henry Waxman, a California Democrat who heads the committee.
There is ``the possibility of a violation of the Presidential Records Act,'' Waxman said.
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