executive privilege

noun

the discretionary right claimed by certain U.S. presidents to withhold information from Congress or the judiciary.

Origin of executive privilege

First recorded in 1940–45

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

This limited scope of executive privilege, and the inherit right of congressional oversight, is a welcome step toward a more balanced government.
How George Washington’s Idea of Executive Privilege Got Mangled | Lindsay M. Chervinsky | October 24, 2021 | The Daily Beast
The words “executive privilege” do not exist in the Constitution, nor is there a right to presidential privacy articulated in the original document.
How George Washington’s Idea of Executive Privilege Got Mangled | Lindsay M. Chervinsky | October 24, 2021 | The Daily Beast
Yet, as presidential authority expanded over the course of the 20th century, so too did presidents’ assertion of executive privilege—all without additional legislation, statute, or constitutional amendment defining this right.
How George Washington’s Idea of Executive Privilege Got Mangled | Lindsay M. Chervinsky | October 24, 2021 | The Daily Beast
On March 30, 1796, President George Washington asserted executive privilege for the first time.
How George Washington’s Idea of Executive Privilege Got Mangled | Lindsay M. Chervinsky | October 24, 2021 | The Daily Beast
Costello’s letter notes that Bannon will comply with any court decisions that resolve disputed claims about executive privilege or attorney-client privilege.
Bannon refuses to comply with congressional investigators seeking information about Jan. 6 insurrection | Tom Hamburger | October 8, 2021 | Washington Post

He is a creature of the White House, cloaked in executive privilege.
Where There’s Trouble, You’ll Usually Find Joe Biden | Lloyd Green | October 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
But Obama cut off the document handover by invoking executive privilege.
What Is Operation Fast and Furious? 11 Questions & Answers | Matthew DeLuca | June 21, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
How can the president assert executive privilege if there was no White House involvement?
White House Uses Executive Privilege on ‘Fast and Furious’ Documents | Patricia Murphy | June 20, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Plus, Murphy on Obama flexing his executive privilege muscle on the issue.
House Committee Votes to Hold Attorney General Eric Holder in Contempt | Patricia Murphy | June 20, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST

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