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Reading Room Document

Power of Congressional Committee to Compel Appearance or Testimony of Presidential Assistant

The OLC provided several examples of presidential assistants that refused to testify before Congress on the basis that the president advised him not to appear. The opinion then concluded that, if Congress moved to hold the advisor in contempt, the advisor could ignore an indictment or warrant of arrest. However, the OLC went on to explain that in the alternative, an advisor could move to dismiss an indictment or seek a declaratory judgment stating that he need not appear before Congress.

April 10, 1972

The OLC's Opinions

Opinions published by the OLC, including those released in response to our FOIA lawsuit

Issues

Free Speech & Social Media

Free Speech & Social Media

Featured

A Free Speech View on the “Free Speech” Executive Order

    

Privacy & Surveillance

Privacy & Surveillance

Featured

Knight Institute and SMU Law Clinic Seek Immediate Release of Records Related to Texas School’s Use of Surveillance Technology

Say surveillance systems in schools undermine students’ privacy and expressive rights, government should release related public records

Transparency & Democracy

Transparency & Democracy

Featured

Knight Institute Seeks Immediate Release of Special Counsel’s Report on Trump’s Mishandling of Classified Documents

Says the public has a First Amendment “right of access” to the document

 

Events

Surveillance Ascendant, Democracy in Free Fall

Surveillance Ascendant, Democracy in Free Fall

A convening addressing the threats to speech and privacy enabled by commercial surveillance in our quickly shifting democratic landscape

 

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