DOJ office says Trump's outside advisers can be shielded by executive privilege
Summary
The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) issued a new opinion saying that President Trump's private advisers outside the government can be protected by executive privilege. This means their communications with the president may be kept confidential from Congress and legal investigations if related to official decisions.Key Facts
- Executive privilege protects confidential talks involving the president and his advisers.
- The new OLC opinion extends this protection to private advisers, not just government staff.
- This privilege applies if communications relate to official presidential decision-making and are confidential.
- The opinion was released before the midterm elections, which might lead to more investigations if Democrats gain control of Congress.
- The OLC opinion is not legally binding but guides the White House on claiming privilege.
- The opinion was signed by Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser.
- This is part of a pattern of Trump administration OLC opinions challenging past legal rules.
- It could block testimony or document sharing from private advisers like Boris Epshteyn, who has been subpoenaed in a lawsuit about White House policies targeting law firms.
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