Bush Plays the Secrecy Card Once More.

[edward]

The Administration is using a little known Supreme court ruling to avoid turning over full information on Jack Abramoff's visits to the White House.

The Bush administration is invoking a secrecy defense known as Glomarization [DOJ backgrounder] to avoid disclosing hundreds of documents concerning White House visits by former lobbyist Jack Abramoff [JURIST news archive], according to AP citing court papers filed Friday. The administration is relying on a 1976 US Supreme Court ruling in Phillippi v. CIA, a case which arose in the context of inquiries concerning an alleged CIA connection with the Glomar Explorer, Howard Hughes' submarine retrieval ship.

Phillippi established the right of government agencies to flatly deny the existence of records pertaining to investigations, if acknowledging the existence of the records would, in itself, reveal exempt information. The Department of Justice claims in the Abramoff case that releasing the requested information would reveal sensitive information about Secret Service's protective function. The administration's denial comes despite a promise last year to produce all records concerning Abramoff.

http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2007/12/bush-administration-invoking-secrecy.php

For those of you who don't remember, the Glomar Explorer was a specialized ship built by Howard Hughes. It was used to try to secretly raise a sunken Russian submarine. The ship was disguised as a research ship and had a hidden underwater opening.

I am thinking that the sub broke into two pieces and we didn't get the half we wanted.

As for Abramoff's visits to the White House I seriously doubt that the Secret service would be revealing it's methods if they simply sent a schedule of the visits to the Congress.

 

[kach22i]

Lawyers, they will try anything.

This is why we need good federal judges.

Wait, this is a request by Congress and not in Federal court?

What powers does Congress have in this situation?

 

[turbo]

What powers does Congress have in this situation?

Congress has the power to subpoena the documents. The Administration will continue to stonewall them so that Congress can't determine Abramoff's access to the White House. Congress will appeal to the DOJ, and the Attorney General will in all likelihood refuse to enforce the subpoenas. That's the way this little kingdom works.