By: by David Royse, Associated Press Writer A computer data analyst hired by Secretary of State Katherine Harris thinks that no files pertaining to her role in the presidential election were erased from computer hard drives in her office.
A separate group of computer data analysts hired by Florida news organizations began looking Wednesday at four computers used in Harris' office during the recount to see if they agree.
Harris said last week she would open the computers' hard drives up to inspection, but first would have her own expert determine if anything had been erased. That expert made a mirror image of the hard drive, but hasn't finished analyzing the results.
"His opinion is, right now, that nothing was deleted," Harris' Chief of Staff Ben McKay said Wednesday.
Whether the computers' records are public has been questioned since a July 15 story in
The New York Times outlined how workers in Harris' office tried to shape post-election instructions to county canvassing boards on how to handle overseas absentee ballots.
In question was whether Harris originally said ballots needed to be postmarked by Election Day. Later, as Republicans tried to count as many overseas ballots as possible, Harris said that wasn't required.
The
Times reported at the time that Harris' office wouldn't provide all the drafts of her statements about overseas ballots created on the computers and refused a request to examine the hard drives. The paper also reported that lawyers in her office said some material was erased.
Harris' spokesman, David Host, has said all records
The New York Times requested have been provided.
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