CNN: State Dept. Names 'Email Czar'

The State Department has named an "email czar" to make sure Freedom of Information Act and congressional requests are responded to more quickly, CNN reports.

Janice Jacobs, a 49-year career diplomat, will serve as Secretary of State John Kerry's "transparency coordinator," CNN reported Tuesday on "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer."

Reuters also reports that the State Department plans to shift about 50 people to bolster the office that is currently sifting through the Clinton emails.

Jacobs' experience includes the effort to revamp visa policies after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and also was in charge later of clearing up a backlog of passport applications.

Kerry is reportedly frustrated that his department is under fire for the slowness in which it has released emails from his predecessor Hillary Clinton. She is under fire herself for her use of a private server for official business.

Kerry also wants Jacobs to improve State Department systems for keeping and retrieving records, according to CNN.

As for the extra staff, they will not work on the monthly, court-ordered release of Clinton emails, which are being handled by about 20 permanent, and 30 part-time, workers, officials said. The new staff will fill in for those workers and may also handle other Clinton FOIA requests.

In a notice to employees on Sept. 2, the State Department advertised for people with skills in coordinating and assessing FOIA requests and deciding if information may be declassified and released to the public.

The notice, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters, is titled "Enhancing Transparency: Immediate Detail Opportunities At State" and calls for workers to apply for reassignment for 9 to 12 months. Applications are due on Thursday and the agency plans to make selections by Sept. 18.

In addition to filling in for workers pulled from their normal duties to handle the crush of work from the Clinton emails, officials said the extra staff would help the department grapple with a surge in FOIA requests more generally, related litigation and a huge backlog of information requests.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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