Justice Department memo broadens privilege claims for private advisers

Attorney General Todd Blanche took office Monday after being sworn in by federal appeals court judge Emil Bove, a former Trump defense lawyer who later served as Blanche’s top deputy at the Justice Department.

Blanche then issued a memo expanding the administration’s view of executive privilege to cover presidential communications with private advisers when they relate to official decision-making. The memo defines a private adviser as anyone the president consults outside the executive branch.

The position could affect congressional subpoenas aimed at companies, college officials and private citizens. The administration is already fighting a subpoena in an American Bar Association lawsuit seeking testimony from Boris Epshteyn, Trump’s senior personal lawyer.

A separate court fight over Epstein files continued Thursday before U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, who questioned the Justice Department’s refusal to provide unredacted documents for his review and said the law requiring release of the files remains in effect.

Read the full story at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com.