TODAY AT 1:30 PM EDT TELE-NEWS CONF. – CREW SUES VP CHENEY OVER RECORDS

8 Sep 2008 // CALL-IN NUMBER 1-877-795-3613 CONFIRMATION CODE: 4362289

Washington, DC -- Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) together with historians Stanley Kutler, Martin Sherwin and three historical and archival organizations will file a lawsuit against Vice President Cheney, the Office of the Vice President, the archivist and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The suit is based on what the vice president must preserve for history as part of the papers of this administration.

CREW, along with plaintiffs Martin Sherwin and Anna Nelson will discuss the lawsuit TODAY at a 1:30 PM EDT TELE-NEWS CONFERENCE.

CALL-IN NUMBER 1-877-795-3613 CONFIRMATION CODE: 4362289

Although the Presidential Records Act (PRA) requires the vice president to preserve all the records he creates and receives while fulfilling his statutory, constitutional, ceremonial and other duties, the White House and NARA take the view that the vice president need not preserve congressional records. According to Vice President Dick Cheney, his office is not part of the executive branch, but rather is attached to the legislative branch. As a result, his official papers will not fall under the PRA and will not be preserved as part of our nation’s historical records. This loss is especially acute given the prominent role Vice President Cheney has played in the Bush administration.

CREW has posted the complaint (to the right of this advisory), as well as documents in support of its preliminary injunction motion.

WHO: MELANIE SLOAN, CREW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ANNE WEISMANN, CREW CHIEF COUNSEL
MARTIN SHERWIN, HISTORIAN
ANNA NELSON, HISTORIAN, REPRESENTING THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN HISTORIANS

WHAT: TELE-NEWS CONF. ON RECORDS LAWSUIT AGAINST
VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY

WHEN: 1:30 PM EDT TODAY, Monday, September 8, 2008

CALL-IN NUMBER: 1-877-795-3613 CONFIRMATION CODE: 4362289

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Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions. For more information, please visit www.citizensforethics.org or contact Naomi Seligman at 202.408.5565/nseligman@citizensforethics.org.

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