Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1696589040224.pdf (United States)
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MAY!

31917 ·· MafORAllDU'H.

TO ALL a.ADS or OJ'PIC~.

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BUaiAVS MID IQABl)S or 'l'Hi naanrarr OJ JUSTIC&.

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ixec\ltive Privilege Th• ·~ • • of .tbla M&DOraadu• 1• to outline 1• a 3enual NJ ~ba doccd.1le of ixecutive pr1v1l•g• •• it -rel.ate.a to 'rect\lht:s &oua ·eoagreaaiOU:1 coad.ttMI for axecuctv• breach iofonaatiou aad doc\l\Wlllu.

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Simply •tae.i.


Exe.cutive prlvt..l•s• l• tha t•l"III· applied · to the 1nvo¢ad.011 by the .kecutlve braacll of a legal right~ derived fr• ~h• aeed for coo.fidentiallcy of it• iateraal co.maunicattoaa and .the coaatituticmsl doctrill• of • .,.ration of powe2:s. to trlthhol.d official docurdllt• or iafonutlon from compulam:y p.rcc••• of tb• IA!glalatlv• brallCb.

The prlvileg• baa a loag blatory.

bavi• been flX"st .••••rted by PJ:e9lderat V.ald.ftgtoll egah1t • ~OQSr•eslOM1 r8'1'l••t .

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· and ther•fter by •laaoat weq .tdnd.•1•trad.OII.

It arou•ed · · -relatively U.ttle -eontroveray 1n our · early bf.•cory, ·but sioc• about 19SO tc bas beoome • ·•tter of cCll•iderable di9Put• b...._ th• aecutlv• ·•nd lAgialativ• branch ... oeapite it• l.ot:ag ld.atory• the doctd.u uati.l rec•tly had · received llO autbodtative Judicial acbiow~t.

The right of tbe £21:ecutive eo .S.thbold S.atcw•u.

fr:oa tM · cwrta in the procesa of l i .

t : l~ • • b._ i-.copt•_.

· .· by the Supr•• Court, but oa11 .


•• a rul• of •S.d._.

alMI aot u .

• eQDatitutlollal pr•rogatlve.

·••la that.

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·• • • the clalm wa held to be aaauta1>1• aoly by "tile had of th• departraeot wblcb bu coatrol cww th.a Mttar, after actual puaoul coaetderat100 by that offloer."

gpig!51 l!

:159 v. B•x,old9, 34S u.s. 1.

8 (1953).

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The first and ool:, Supr ... ·eoure dect.loll afflrtaia& a conetltutlonal ba•ie of &cecut1v• pn.vll~• hvolvad th• t:mtrover.sy over the S,-c:i.al hoaecutor • dpt _ to access to the lU.xola tap... 1he Court'• •saa•lwou• cleci•ioo la !

!N,t!f!

sr.,519 v. lfbpg.

418 U.S. 683 (1974)• lleld that Pt .. ldelat lU.xoa could not tnvoke EJtecutiv• pdvtl•a• -to tbvart tbe productloa _of tbe tapaa pw:aunc to the llat:er• pee g1'Uld juy•• 8Ubpoeu.
._., ill the d•resc t•t11•• tbat me prl.v11eg• 1• of on the oeed for tb• prot~cion of eo111tnd<-..atiou batweea eonatf.tutloul •tat.u--.

Th• Courc ci .

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ted it• nltq, firat.

blab goveruellt offt.cl&la ad Choae ldlo •••l•e ud advla• din: t'he ·oplnlon eatab11ahu.
bow• · · · lfumaa exp•1w• t•ch•• tbae those -.bo e.xpoct public dla1-Snati011 of their rwrks · •J' welt t.emper c.e.odor Id.di a cOJlcan for appui-anc•• and tor their wa interest• to th• d•trimerat of the decid..oaaklq proc:ea•• Ubatevu th• nature of the privilege of ccnfldentlality of Pruld•tlal c01Wmi.cat10Da in the oercl•• of Art.

It ,owera.
It ,owera.

the privilege can b• said to dulve &cn the nprwoy of ucb branch .S.tld.a it• Ollll autgMd uea of ccm1tttuttonal duti••• Certalo power• a1id pd.vi.leg .. flow from the aatv• of fJD\11118t-ated powers; the pi-otet1oe of th• eoafideatta11cy of Pre•iclelatlal coaand.• ·cattou las aildlar coaatltutlonal \UlderplaaS.QII.

418 u. s. at 705-6 • • 2 - ' .. .... .

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< Th• _Coun alto .·acknowledged tbat the pn.v11ea• etr■ rld frolt · tile prillelpl• of te,-ratlon of ,-_.a4 · · • '11ae .pdvi1Age .1a tundatiGtal tc, ·the o,eratlon of &Otl8ftiatot: .and iautdcabl7 ·rooted ta tbe ac,paratioa of povu1 adu the Coutltattoa.

418 11.s.

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The l•aua befor• tu .

Court.

iO lu9.D ·t:ODCaned ally .

the .. availal,tlit)' of CM.


pdvlla&•, and the c.,_.t• • role la evatuatlog the ••trtloa of sucll .privile&•, la di• c0tataxt of a criad.ftal proaticUtiOG.

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It i• coactd.v•bl•• lf t1MI • t t • could be litigated• tbat c1M1.

Court would hold that qy .

d-....d · frOII th• COQgftaa 1• aufft.cieot,.

•• --• the cl~ cumatanc .. la lb9B• to ovucoae the prJ.vU•e.

the .

epllett tanauaa•.

of .


tile opt.a1oD, •• well •• tlUI Coa:rt' • nd.oul• npport:iag tta vt.• of th• pd.vllea• •• ou of eontltutionitl _ cU.meoaion, wou1d irld!cat• that la et: l••c .. aoaaa circuutancea • · Coagres• as W4l11 •• .

to th• courta.

pd.vile&• l• avail.able agalut the · · tfowaver, .

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1!Ja Pggtice guarding · S511t,Jv9 Mvilfg•_ : .

lnformatloa.

or teattmcmy la · ••t oft• elicited ffflA the Exacuet.ve bnacb by die Ccagrea• by way of eOllllltt .

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I.:a moat ces•~ die E•~ud.va sunltea th• ~•••t•d .

· requaaca.

· ·tofoi,aad.oii voluatadly nd vl.tbout..,.

tort of tonal .legia• .

lativ•-cCllpll5loL · Since oo c~lsory proc ... u ere under;.. taken in tbia ~CGt«Jct.

ao occaaton aiata for tbe ••••t1oa of •-,uttve pdvileg•~ · .. h-ola a legal •tadpoia.t, tu prlvile&• need GQJ.y be ··••ted •h•• th• Executive would otbalWl•• .

be UftdeJ: a legal duty to provid•· tllfotmatioo1 ad IUob duty · .
ca Olll.1 ate.ell "POQ the le91JaGCe of a ~ OI' odler •111111-r caapu1aor, ·ordu.

of complytag to the fullest extent with Coag.Q1aioaa1 ~.-•t• for lafol'lllltton.

bowavar, tueb :requeets U0111d ba complied With ua1 .. , then la .-.a to bellw• tut ~K\ltlv• priril•• uwld afford • valid bade for aot doilll - .

!but.

•Jd.1• the priVS.1-ae· ftMd aot h •••ut.S in ~..,_•• to • CetQgras-lou1 requa1t, the pr1nctplea und•l:,to& the •!oct.

:lu abMld p:rovld• ~ • lo coadded'QS r .

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t• by Coo&ftff .


for laforsaa~t_on.

1n keeplag Id.th tbls / dld.aiatnttoia•• ~1 poltc1 · .

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... , •• • In eai-liu years, tbe Executive braDC1' p~aetlc• wltb respect to aeaertloa of Executive pn.vtlege •• apillat ~ualoaal deunds was not ••11 -defined.

Dm'l.Dg tha Congreaatoual imteatlgat&on lavolvlag Senator McCarthy, Pr•aldem: a.~.
by lett:ar to tba Secretary of Def•••• in •ffect: p~blt-1 ell aploy ... of theDefeeae Depart• · !HD.C trm tettlfying cOftCemt.ag ccm,aruttona or: t:01Dt0lc•• · · tS..• embodylag advice oo official internal · •tt•r•• Tbla .

••tually pro4aced such• eeroq congr .. slonal ructio11 ·• ~rcll 1:, 1962.

Prealdeat K.-medy wot•.

to that on COQ&r••-11 Moas atatlag that it WOllld be the .policy of his ·Adndal•~•t1on tbat "E.ncutlve prtvileg• c•• be tavokad onlJ by the Prealdent and will not be ueed without.
specific Pr••J.deotlal approval.

n .. Mt.

Mo•• sougbt ead ncelved • · slud.lar comltaaettt from Pr••t.dat Jobnaon.

Pre1ldant Mxoo eoatlmte4 th• ledlledy-.Jobnsoo policy of bard.Qg the as .

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rtiota of ~ecutlve privilege without specifl..c Preaidmttal approvel, but fm:melll'..ed it pro• ceduz-ally .by a tHmOradwi dated March 24, ·1969.

Th•...,.

~endum begins by stat:lng that th• pdvlleg• "111 belavoked ••onty in .
the QIOtlt compelliag ci~cumstancea aQ.d aftff • rigorous iaqulry iato th• actual Mad for its uerclse."

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It epec1£l.•t •the following proe-4m"al st•ps: (1) If th• bud of a departmaDt or aaenoy believea tbac • conareulonal ..-equqt for Wormad.oa rat,es • aubataatia1 qu .. tloa •• to the aeed for lnvokiag iaecuct.v• pd.vtles•.

h• •hould · oouu1t th• Attoraey C..-ral tbrough the Office.

of Legal Couuel; (2) if·, u a result gf that eoneultatlon.
die department b•d Gd the Attom., Genual •ar•• tbat 8,cecu• tlve pn.VS.t•a• should not be 11lVOud 1D the clrcwutaucu, ·.

the lllforutioa shall be nleaaed; (3) 1f eltber die d.,.n.

aeat bead or the Attorney Oener•l• or both.

bttUev• t!Mtt.

t;he altuatlca Juatifla the lt\Vocatlon of &tau.d.ve;·,pdvt.1411•• the matcer ahall be tneemltted co th• Coutaset co tbla ·Pr•tld•t• · vbo will ad'llae ~ ~apa:r:tsellt head of tu PrutdNt' • ctacldOII; .

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1 •· •• · (4) if.the Prest.dent decidu to invoke Executive prlvtl-a•• the department head &ball advise Coaar•• tbat tile cl.eta of privilege is beins made with the •Peet.fie •~oval of the Prealdent; .
atld (S) p•dlng dle procedure outliaed alfove, the depax-t'IMllt head la to requeat Congr4aa to hold .th• re• •••t for iGforaatloll la •b•Jal'lc•• taldQS car• to ladlcat• that: thia requ••t: ls c:mly to protect die pdvileg• p-.d.lag detend.aatiOD and that ·tld.• requett does not coutitute a claim of prlvllage.· President Carter ha• ladit:aced that 1M will ,oon 1asu• • memorandum 111 wldcb he will take th• pod.tlOII ~f Pruldenta lteQQedy• JobasOG aad lU.xon that only the Pr••ld•t cu aasert Executive pd.vile&•• · It should be tiopllaslzad tbat: th• above procedure a•ed oal7 be wdwtaken if • ptiafactny rasolutiOII with reapect co Coagreaa' d-od c-=ot .
otherwl•• be dcdeed.

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It le often tile eaea that autually ear-bl• aol\ltlou to Cong• · reaeiooal d9lllllflds ca be wrked O\it, and it 1• of ·cours• bettu to att'811pt sucb comproad.aes tbaa to pluna• 1ato • constitutloul cOGfroatatlOD..

If ao euch comp:tcad.ae can be ruched.

th• deelt:loa whether Executive pdvihge wS.11 be •••erted ta laqely depeadat on the pal'ticular circuutacea 111VOlvecl ia ch• Congr:esaional demmad.

1b:la cl~--.-tlon .,.

depend OD .


auch varylag factors •• th• nat:wr• ed confideat:t.alie; of · the Wormatioa QU&ht •ad · cha •tJ!iength of the force• in Congress ·that are ••eldog ·tha ·info1'1111Cioo.

To tn at•t tbat •IV generallr.atlou •Y be dr••• thtty •r• aecuurS.11 .

t•cat1v• and aket:ehy.

tt baa beea tba poaiti.oo of ch• - ~~utive branch tbat th• PN•ldent and Id.• la111•dt..at• ed• viSOl"8 are •haolutely 1 .

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from t••d.llOld.al COlllflill•l• a., • .

Cqr .. etoaal comf.tt•e.


Lower•lev•l lild.t• Bon• •fflctel• .

ba9e b•• deeaed eul>ject to a Corlp' .

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, 1mt might r•fu•• to teatlf1 with rapect to ••Y • t t • ad.•laa S.n the courae of th•1r oUtcial poaltloa of.•M•llla w forauLltiag addce for.

the Pred.d•t• -' - .

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The quMtioo is eomawhat diffar•t with respect to .

· · the ~tllletae of· .rustic•~ fte DepartlleDt ba• ·t,een.
creat-4 by an Act of COqre•a • and •dmtat•c•• 8Qd moreea 111my .

statutes enacted by Co1'3rea1.

- Thoe ·factor• •r• ~onalder-1 · to impose ca the !>epartm.eat an obliptitm to .funlth .lmow ledgeable wltnmes or illformatioo pureuant.

to CODar••loul demands.

ba,fe ti.

autllodty to direce the off~lala eoaeeroed to decltae to testify eoncemlng particular matter• for 11apecl.flc ..

reason."

iven here, bowever ,.


die President l• tllought_ to · · · · It-Ie--·~t posaible •.. in "11Mlt la illteded to b• a brief -exposition, to treat at .

leogtb .

the f~speclfio rea801la" vhich would, under· present practice, ed.1· for wt.thholdlog frona · the Congress •~ertal which does oot coulet of eqqdlllllllca .. tiOll• to or .from the Pres1deat or c0111Nd.Catt.oa• of b1e lmrnedlate advisers •.
The t:wo moat obvious area, are fodlgn relatiou and ad.lit.a~ a,ffat:r•; the COurt iii IJ!UP ecbn• .. led.gad tbat · the cO\ttta bav• tradlcloaally •bow& the ''utmost deterenc•" to the Proaldaoc• a exerclae of hie reapoaalbllltl•• · in thee• mattel:a.

418 u. s. at 110.

· · l..aothor ar• aubj!IM:t to · &teeutive prlvi.lege.

more clo1ely Hlated to tb• Departmellt's AO't:mlll fullctlona, it S.ofortQ&tlon wblch would Jaopardha peacU.ag or· cont9111>lated lltlgatlon · or which would tmpiage oa t.h-.
~oafidaatlalt.ty of lGvoetS.• gatlve ft1es.

See40 Op.

A.G. 45 (1941).

Dlaclosureof -such iafomatiOG vou14· ·aoe.

only._.... ti.

Department'• ·t.aveatlgatlve or pi:oaecutodal efforts; -it uy alao _dte• · courage aOU'C'coa .

of Wormation .&cm -eOtl1og fon,ard nd .

i-esult: 1a the reluee of UII.Vfflfled lafoJffll&tioa llfd.cb may be damaging ~o individuals.
li• at 46•47 • · finally• •ecutive privilege also prot.cta lDU.• govemmental dtaeuastona even below tM PJ:eddNtS..1 lev•l; the purpoae.·_t, to pnt•t •uclt dlscuaei•• ·from aa _ _,_... - 6 .. vld.ch vould d••troy their ceodor and hence tlldr wortb.

Gt.v• tide pur,o•••· however, · tld.a aspect of Jxecutiv• ,n.vlleg• baa bean ••..S to procact ODly -.utloa•• •dvice, ~~..-da.tloD• alld oplnlou, radlu tbaa fac~l fl1••• .

,sr lla&S•d SSftft v • .

L!u•V 6 P!ftt1 Jae,• '42 and taw-Ntlgatory report•• data.
or aune.,• la govetQMQt .

r.2d 655 6th cu.

1976) • .

Thea• prlaciplea of andlsclo•ur• •Y be relaxed 1n aituadoaa whare the publiQ ira&u•t would ju1tlfy lt. .

tor example, 111tt111.el• proparly •ubJect to cl•l•• of uecutlv• privil•s• uy be dlaclosed to eoqr .. a la ca•• llwOlviag Senatorial ccnftnaatlOD of Pr..U•ttal IIO'Jd.utiou or 1a 1apaaehmeac proc..Slap.

$~ 40 Op.

A.G. 45, Sl (1941).

Jobll M. Bat'IIGll Actiag ·Aa•i•t:aat Att.onq O•ual Offie• of Legal Counael · - 7 ..