This Just In WP "Former Presidents Can't Withhold Records"

By: presidentialman
Published On: 10/2/2007 3:06:53 AM

Former Presidents Can't Withhold Records

By MATT APUZZO
The Associated Press
Monday, October 1, 2007; 7:22 PM

WASHINGTON -- Presidents don't have indefinite veto power over which records are made public after they've left office, a federal judge ruled Monday.

In a narrowly crafted ruling, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly invalidated part of President Bush's 2001 executive order, which allowed former presidents and vice presidents to review executive records before they are released under the Freedom of Information Act.

By law, the National Archives has the final say over the release of presidential records and Kollar-Kotelly ruled that Bush's executive order "effectively eliminates" that discretion. It allows former presidents to delay the release of records "presumably indefinitely," she said.

The judge ordered the National Archives not to withhold any more documents based on that section of the executive order.

The ruling was made in a lawsuit filed by the American Historical Association and other organizations, which argued that Bush's Executive Order 13233 was an "impermissible exercise of the executive power."


What this means is we'll know the truth about Poppy Bush, was he involved in Iran Contra, but also how did Alzheimer's effect Reagan decisions.
And after W. leaves, was that lawyer shooting of Cheney's a one night stand or is he a repeat offender, shooting accountants,university professors from Yale-the school he got in trouble with-, Mary's new guy she brought home about 16 of them, all in her high school years, until she just threw up her arms and said I've had it, guess I'll go lesbian?

Now thanks to a liberal court's ruling, you the American public will know this and other pressing information. Historians will have an easier time accessing this information. Robert Dallek had said that it had been harder to get stuff for his Nixon book since the executive order.  Now that will be changed.

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