The Sullying of Richard Windsor

In U.S. history class, we learned that a Richard Windsor served in the Lewis and Clark Expedition and Corps of Discovery. He’s mentioned in the Lewis and Clark journals for an accident that almost cost him his life.

While crossing a bluff he slipped and fell and Lewis told him to dig his knife in and climb up. He did so, and escaped death.

However, there is another Richard Windsor to discuss – this one is a woman.

Windsor – or rather former EPA chief Jackson – used the name to hide her email activity from anyone wanting to know about official business she was working on at the agency.  Furthermore, that didn’t stop she/he/it from being awarded many certificates for ethics, records management and cyber-security.

It was recently learned that the EPA waived Freedom of Information Act requests for at least seven “green groups,” while charging groups considered “unfriendly” to the EPA were charged nearly every time. No statement on the partisan behavior at the EPA has been issued yet.

Federal law requires agency officials to keep all official emails that may be covered by FOIA requests. Federal employees are also required to provide copies of private emails used for official business to agency FOIA officials.

Jackson resigned as EPA administrator in December 2012 shortly after her agency’s inspector-general announced an investigation into the fake “Richard Windsor.” She now works for Apple.

As an intersting side-note, Apple is working on technology to mine data from I-phone users.