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OPINION OF INDIVIDUAL JUSTICE
IN CHAMBERS

RUBIN, SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, et al. v.
UNITED STATES, acting through the
independent counsel

on application for stay

No. A–53 (98–93). Decided July 17, 1998

The Secretary of the Treasury’s application to stay the Court of Appeals’
decision to enforce subpoenas pending a decision on certiorari is denied.
He has not demonstrated that the interim enforcement of subpoenas
requiring the President’s protectors to testify before a federal grand
jury investigating the President will cause irreparable harm. Nor has
he shown a likelihood that this Court, assuming it granted certiorari
and heard the case, would reverse the Court of Appeals’ judgment.

Chief Justice Rehnquist, Circuit Justice.

This case is before me as Circuit Justice on the application
for stay submitted by the Solicitor General, on behalf of the
Secretary of the Treasury Robert E. Rubin. Because sev-
eral of my colleagues are out of the country, I have decided
to rule on the matter myself rather than refer it to the
Conference.

An applicant for stay ﬁrst must show irreparable harm if
In my view, the applicant has not demon-
a stay is denied.
strated that denying a stay and enforcing the subpoenas
pending a decision on certiorari would cause irreparable
harm. The Secretary identiﬁes two injuries that would re-
sult from denying a stay: any privileged information would
be lost forever and the important interests that the “protec-
tive function privilege” protects would be destroyed.
I can-
not say that any harm caused by the interim enforcement of
If the Secretary’s claim
the subpoenas will be irreparable.

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