Boston City Hall Turns Over Second Computer

Boston officials have turned over a second computer used by a top mayoral aide, Michael J. Kineavy, that may contain e-mails deleted in possible violation of state public records law.

A spokeswoman for Mayor Thomas Menino said the computer, which was replaced in April, was found last week and turned over to a computer forensic company. The company will try to retrieve the deleted e-mails.

Experts last week recovered thousands of e-mails from another computer taken from Kineavy's office, following an order from Secretary of State William Galvin for the mayor's office to turn them over.

Galvin said the demand was based on what he called a “credible belief” that the city violated state public records laws by deleting the e-mails.

The controversy started in mid-September after the Boston Globe issued a public records request asking for the e-mails. They were also subpoenaed by a federal grand jury in connection with a public corruption case involving former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson.

City Councilor Michael Flaherty, who now challenges Menino in Boston's general election, on Tuesday renewed his call for an independent investigation of the e-mails this morning.

Flaherty, along with fellow city councilor and former mayoral candidate Sam Yoon, had called for an investigation a week before the preliminary election.

Under state law, e-mails sent and received by Massachusetts public employees must be kept for two years.

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