Bush And Executive Privilege

The Bush administration has few equals in its commitment to a broad conception of executive authority, and it has on several occasions argued for an expansive understanding of executive privilege and similar protections. But legal scholars said that President Bill Clinton asserted the doctrine of executive privilege more often and more vigorously, including in the investigation of his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. "Clinton clearly was more aggressive in using executive privilege than any of the modern presidents since Eisenhower," said Mark J. Rozell, a law professor at George Mason University and the author of "Executive Privilege: Presidential Power, Secrecy, and Accountability." "Bush has been somewhat reluctant to use it."