Story thread · 11 reports / 10 sources

Trump demands 'executive privilege' for private 'psychiatrist' and fixer

alternet.org · 17h · first reportShare

President Donald Trump is trying to extend the concept of executive privilege, which solely protects the president and official appointees, to his so-called "kitchen cabinet" — that is, outside advisers who simply provide him with guidance. "As court fight brews over demands for testimony and records from outside Trump advisers like Boris Epshteyn, DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel issues opinion arguing executive privilege extends to Kitchen Cabinet," Politico's Josh Gerstein argued on Monday . "As a general matter, executive privilege can apply to presidential communications with private advisers so long as the communications (1) relate to official presidential decision making, (2) involve or reflect communications with the President or his direct advisers, and (3) are confidential," argued Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser from the White House's Office of Legal Counsel on Monday. He added, "Presidential communications with private advisers can fall within the scope of executiv