What a bizarre interview. Joseph Cuffari is beyond not qualified to handle the job and that's why Trump picked him.
The embattled DHS IG faced tough questions from House Democrats over his many failures, including his handling of the Jan 6 investigations that have resulted in his own department demanding he be fired.
Cuffari admitted deleting texts from his government issued phone with no back up and then claimed he didn't use his work phone for official business. Then Cuffari also said he didn't use the phone for personal reasons either.
WTF?
I included the whole transcript of this segment. Remember, this is the same guy who is responsible for the deleted Secret Service text messages, too.
Watch with wonder.
Did you delete text messages from your government-issued iPhone?
MR. Cuffari.
Yes.
THE COURT.
Okay.
And when was that?
MR. Cuffari.
It's my normal practice to delete text messages.
THE COURT.
So you delete them on an ongoing basis?
MR. Cuffari.
That's correct.
THE COURT.
All right.
Are they stored anywhere?
MR. Cuffari.
No.
THE COURT.
Not sure?
MR. Cuffari.
Not much sure.
THE COURT.
Okay.
Well, it's safe to say, based on that, that at the time you deleted them, you didn't know if they were stored in an alternative place.
Is that fair?
MR. Cuffari.
Correct.
It's also fair to note that I don't use my government cell phone to conduct official business.
THE COURT.
All right.
So your testimony today is that these text messages that you have deleted, or at least some of them, had no Federal information or any information that would be implicated under the Federal Records Act?
MR. Cuffari.
Under the Federal Records Act, that's correct.
THE COURT.
Okay.
And so they have no connection to official business at all?
MR. Cuffari.
Nothing that would be considered a Federal record.
THE COURT.
Well, are you using your Federal phone for personal purposes, then?
MR. Cuffari.
No, sir.
THE COURT.
All right.
Then what's the purpose for using your government-issued phone?
MR. Cuffari.
To conduct business.
THE COURT.
But not Federal business related to your department?
MR. Cuffari.
Not Federal business, considering that they are records.
It's a clearly defined statute that places requirements on what a Federal record actually is.
THE COURT.
All right.
So just final question.
So you've made a conscious decision with the documents or the messages you've deleted that the Federal records laws did not apply to the messages you deleted?
MR. Cuffari.
The messages that I deleted, I did not consider those to be Federal records, and therefore I deleted them.
That's correct.
THE COURT.
Okay.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
