Judge Allows Private Group to Quiz White House Techs

As part of the investigation of millions of missing White House emails, a private group can examine the records of the office charged with preserving communications, a federal judge ruled yesterday. The judge made it clear that letting any private group look into White House affairs was highly unusual and the group would have access to only a "very limited" amount of information, the AP reports.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington will have 45 days to gather information to help determine how much autonomy the Office of Administration has from President Bush. If it's found to be independent, the judge will likely allow the group to seek further data about what went wrong with the White House email system. (More White House stories.)