BUSH INVOKES EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE TO DENY SUBPOENA
Associated PressWASHINGTON - 12.13.01 | President Bush invoked executive privilege for the first time Thursday to keep Congress from seeing documents of prosecutors' decision-making in cases ranging from a decades-old Boston murder to the Clinton-era fund-raising probe.
"I believe congressional access to these documents would be contrary to the national interest," Bush wrote in a memo ordering Attorney General John Ashcroft to withhold the documents from a House investigative committee that subpoenaed them.
http://www.house.gov/reform/presidential_pardons.htm
"Ashcroft will obey the law...whatever that is determined to be.I have no idea what the full story is on this but think politically for a moment... Suppose Congress drags something good out of the Justice department, Bush can wash his hands of it instead of being tarred with the label that he is Partisan,therefore giving the stuff some credibility...If it all becomes another Republican vs. Dems drama we all loose"
52 posted on 9/9/01 10:16 PM Central by woofie
This report is dedicated to the memory of M. Scott Billingsley, counsel for the House Committee on Government Reform from 1999-2001. Scott died unexpectedly on March 25, 2002, at the age of 31.
During his time on the Committee staff, Scott was centrally involved in a number of important investigations. Scott made immeasurable contributions to the Committee's work, not only through his critical thinking and excellent writing, but also through his professionalism and cheerful spirit, which made him a pleasure to work with. Scott devoted two years of his short life to the Committee on Government Reform because he wanted to root out waste, fraud, and abuse, and promote integrity in the federal government. Scott's final, and most important work for the Committee was on the investigation of President Clinton's eleventh-hour clemency grants.
Scott played a key role investigating the pardons of Marc Rich and Pincus Green and drafted much of the first chapter of this report. Scott's work on the Rich and Green pardons was typical of all of his work for the Committee: excellent, accurate, and thorough. Scott Billingsley certainly has a legacy that goes far beyond his work on this Committee. He has left behind many individuals who will miss him dearly. His memory will be cherished by his parents, sister, fiance, family, and countless others whose lives he touched. However, this report should serve as a small, but lasting, reminder of Scott Billingsley's work and his devotion to the pursuit of truth.