Lois Lerner’s hard drive, while recoverable (if it still exists), is not the issue. The branch & department mail servers are all backed up daily and stored (probably off-site).
Any reasonable sized company has protocols in place for secure backup & storage.
It would take a gargantuan, concerted effort to ensure that ALL copies of her emails have been located and destroyed. If that in fact is what has happened, then it is prima facie evidence of a criminal conspiracy.
Nixon’s tape was ONE copy covering 18+ minutes. The IRS deletions/destruction of evidence cover two years of originals (to/from multiple recipients) and who knows how many copies.
If Lerner is a hard core leftist who won’t turn states evidence, then charge & arrest ALL of the IT people ALL the way up the chain of command. Charge them with criminal conspiricy, destruction of evidence, etc, then let them plead to gross incompetence if they tell all.
Not only that, someone just reminded me that the internet server that does their email has to store them according to some law in the patriot act