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Reading Room Document

Executive Privilege

This set of memoranda, written by Ted Olson, provided the proposed Reagan administration position on the invocation of executive privilege. In the memos, Olson pointed to three problems with congressional demands for information: “(a) belligerence on the part of some members of Congress; (b) a lack of Executive Branch coordination; and (c) a lack of clear rules to guide decision.” Olson pointed to the Nixon administration’s position as a starting point, but suggested that the Reagan administration may wish to go further to discourage voluntary compliance with demands for information on the part of executive agencies, and to remove the requirement of the president’s personal involvement with the invocation of the privilege.

April 19, 1982

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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