Reading Room Document

Reimbursing Justice Department Employees for Fees Incurred in Using Private Counsel Representation at Congressional Depositions

The Department of Justice may reimburse its employees for legal fees they incur in using private counsel representation at congressional depositions in circumstances where the Department was planning to provide Department counsel for official capacity testimony but the congressional committee refused to permit Department counsel to be present. The Department should make individualized inquiries to determine whether the representation of particular employees includes representation of purely personal interests that should not be reimbursed. The OLC does not provide release dates for its opinions, so the release date listed is the date on which the opinion was authored. The original opinion is available at www.justice.gov/file/23421/download.

September 27, 1990