Trump asserts executive privilege to shield documents on Census citizenship question
Last edited Wed Jun 12, 2019, 11:02 AM - Edit history (1)
Source: Washington Post
President Trump on Wednesday asserted executive privilege to shield documents about the administrations decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, a move meant to try to undercut an expected vote by a House panel to hold his attorney general and commerce secretary in contempt for failing to turn over the materials to lawmakers.
Attorney General William P. Barr had a day earlier warned the House Oversight Committee that if it moved toward holding him in contempt, he would ask Trump to assert privilege to protect the materials. The committee, though, rejected his offer, and was preparing to vote Wednesday on a contempt finding when Trump followed through on Barrs threat.
The department revealed the assertion in a letter to the committee, which called the contempt vote unnecessary and premature.
In the Justice Departments view, the privilege assertion undercuts the contempt finding, because it prevents the attorney general from turning over materials lawmakers had subpoenaed.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/trump-asserts-executive-privilege-to-shield-documents-on-census-citizenship-question/2019/06/12/971263c8-8d11-11e9-adf3-f70f78c156e8_story.html
Original article and headline -
By Washington Post Staff
June 12 at 10:26 AM
The decision was meant to try to undermine a vote by the House Oversight Committee to hold Attorney General William P. Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt for failing to turn over the materials to lawmakers.
Barr had a day earlier warned the Oversight Committee that if it moved toward holding him in contempt, he would ask President Trump to assert privilege to protect the materials. The committee, though, rejected his offer, and was set to vote Wednesday on a contempt finding when Trump followed through on Barrs threat.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2019/06/12/trump-asserts-executive-privilege-to-shield-documents-from-house-panel-investigating-decision-to-add-citizenship-question-to-census/?utm_term=.8dc248c1a47a
TommyCelt
(838 posts)pecosbob
(7,541 posts)As they backstep, they retreat to the next legal blockade, adding another court and pushing the inevitable down the road another week or two.
Hofeller's hard drive shows the admin's claims regarding the origin of this proposal to be lies. They're on record lying once, so they can't afford to get caught out again and still claim deniability. Their only option from this point is to stonewall.
The Mouth
(3,150 posts)IMHO.
Democrat or Republican, they work for *US* as *OUR* employee.
TryLogic
(1,723 posts)I think that is called abuse of power.
BlueIdaho
(13,582 posts)This is not a proper and appropriate use of executive privilege. We need to hustle this travesty through the courts - and stop this abuse of power dead in its tracks. In the long run, Congress needs to address this issue - along with dozens of other issues that have lead to the expansive powers of the Presidency.
Much like after Nixon, its time to reign in the executive branch and force Congress to do its fucking oversight duties.
Gothmog
(145,291 posts)Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,010 posts)mahatmakanejeeves
(57,464 posts)READ: Trump's letter asserting executive privilege over subpoenaed census documents http://hill.cm/y8fkTky
Link to tweet
Achilleaze
(15,543 posts)as usual. No honesty, no integrity, no honor (R).
NewEnglandAutumn
(184 posts)we lie and say we are not legal citizens on the census?