Executive privilege is the power of the president and other members of the executive branch to resist certain searches and interventions by other branches of government. Originally intended as a means to protect state secrets, the privilege was extended in <em>United States vs. Nixon</em> to keep information passed between presidents and their aides confidential. Now the White House is using it to ignore contempt charges by federal attorneys, further testing the bounds of a power that some call a fundamental protection, and others see as a roundabout way to avoid the law.http://www.newser.com/2008 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorTue, 07 Oct 2008 7:14:01 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/38684/mukasey-taps-prosecutor-for-attorney-firings-case.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMichael Mukasey appointed a special prosecutor today to look into the attorney firing scandal today, Reuters reports, after an internal investigation came up empty-handed. Many top witnesses, such as Karl Rove, didn’t cooperate, but could now be subpoenaed by Connecticut prosecutor Nora Dannehy.http://www.newser.com/story/38684/mukasey-taps-prosecutor-for-attorney-firings-case.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 29 Sep 2008 11:41:46 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/38638/no-charges-in-us-attorney-firings-report.html?refid=rss_all_defaultA Justice Department probe of the firings of a group of US attorneys is ending without recommending charges against former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales or anyone else, the New York Times reports. The investigators' report, to be released today, is nonetheless said to be scathing on the politically motivated firings, and to recommend that a prosecutor look into the role of lawmakers and the White House.http://www.newser.com/story/38638/no-charges-in-us-attorney-firings-report.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 29 Sep 2008 6:46:22 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/32639/creative-bush-order-shields-cheney-from-plame-probe.html?refid=rss_all_defaultPresident Bush has invoked an unprecedented executive privilege claim to bar FBI interviews with Dick Cheney from a congressional committee probing the leak that exposed Valerie Plame as a CIA agent, Newsweek reports. The Bush order argues that turning over the records of Cheney's grilling concerning the scandal would violate the president's right to confidential communication with his advisers.http://www.newser.com/story/32639/creative-bush-order-shields-cheney-from-plame-probe.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 17 Jul 2008 1:40:32 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/32164/lawmakers-make-much-of-karl-roves-empty-seat.html?refid=rss_all_defaultKarl Rove ignored a subpoena ordering him to appear before a House committee probing alleged abuses of power in the Justice Department yesterday—and the committee didn't let that get in their way. Lawmakers printed a name card for Rove, pointed a mike at an empty chair, fetched a cool glass of water for the absent Bush strategist, and disparaged his absence freely, reports Dana Millbank in the Washington Post.http://www.newser.com/story/32164/lawmakers-make-much-of-karl-roves-empty-seat.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 10 Jul 2008 22:16:32 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/25551/executive-privilege-goes-to-court.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThe civil suit brought by Congress as it investigates the 2005-06 firings of US attorneys is becoming a groundbreaking constitutional tussle that could decide the true scope of executive privilege. The precedent that could be set in the ruling from a US district court is now more significant than the truth behind the firings, Mother Jones reports.http://www.newser.com/story/25551/executive-privilege-goes-to-court.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 24 Apr 2008 16:59:38 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/21229/house-sues-bush-aides-over-subpoenas.html?refid=rss_all_defaultLawmakers sued two top Bush aides today to make them testify about the sacking of federal prosecutors in 2006. The House Judiciary Committee suit seeks to enforce subpoenas against White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and former Bush counsel Harriet Miers, who have refused to testify or supply subpoenaed papers. "We will not allow the administration to steamroll Congress," one lawmaker said.http://www.newser.com/story/21229/house-sues-bush-aides-over-subpoenas.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 10 Mar 2008 17:18:44 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/20433/mukasey-nixes-bush-aides-contempt-case.html?refid=rss_all_defaultA  showdown over executive privilege got more likely yesterday when Attorney General Michael Mukasey said he wouldn't pursue contempt charges against two Bush aides, Reuters reports. Mukasey rejected the request from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to refer the case to a grand jury, arguing that they had committed no crime by refusing to testify to Congress about the controversial firing of 9 US prosecutors.http://www.newser.com/story/20433/mukasey-nixes-bush-aides-contempt-case.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSat, 01 Mar 2008 4:12:55 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/19084/house-holds-2-bush-aides-in-contempt.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThe House voted today to hold two Bush insiders guilty of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate in last year's US attorneys scandal, the AP reports. Angry  Republicans boycotted the vote and walked out in protest. Democrats censured chief of staff Josh Bolten and former Bush counsel Harriet Miers for ignoring congressional subpoenas into whether prosecutors were fired for political reasons.http://www.newser.com/story/19084/house-holds-2-bush-aides-in-contempt.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 14 Feb 2008 15:47:51 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/18823/judge-allows-private-group-to-quiz-white-house-techs.html?refid=rss_all_defaultAs part of the investigation of millions of missing White House emails, a private group can examine the records of the office charged with preserving communications, a federal judge ruled yesterday. The judge made it clear that letting any private group look into White House affairs was highly unusual and the group would have access to only a "very limited" amount of information, the AP reports.http://www.newser.com/story/18823/judge-allows-private-group-to-quiz-white-house-techs.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 12 Feb 2008 1:26:35 CST