Reading Room Document

Congressional Requests for Information From Inspectors General Concerning Open Criminal Investigations

Long-established executive branch policy and practice, based on consideration of both Congress' oversight authority and principles of executive privilege, require that in the absence of extraordinary circumstances an Inspector General must decline to provide confidential information about an open criminal investigation in response to a request pursuant to Congress' oversight authority. The reporting provisions of the Inspector General Act do not require Inspectors General to disseminate to Congress confidential information pertaining to open criminal investigations. 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/24181/download.

March 24, 1989