Today, CREW, together with historians Stanley Kutler and 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 Stanley Kutler, 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

The Washington Post has an article today previewing the lawsuit:

The goal, proponents say, is to protect a treasure trove of information about national security, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, domestic wiretapping, energy policy, and other major issues that could be hidden from the public if Cheney adheres to his view that he is not part of the executive branch. Extending the argument, scholars say, Cheney could assert that he is not required to make his papers public after leaving office. Access to the documents is crucial because he is widely considered to be the most influential vice president in U.S. history, they note. 

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.

Once filed, we will post the complaint, as well as documents in support of its preliminary injunction motion.