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Letter from Purpura to Wolosky re: Hill's Testimony Whistleblower Complaint on Ukraine (Kelly Smith, comp.) 1 (10/14/2019)

handle is hein.presidents/usgvtwht0092 and id is 1 raw text is: 



THE WHITE HOUSE


                                       WASHINGTON



                                       October 14, 2019

BY EMAIL

Lee S. Wolosky, Esq.
Boies Schiller Flexner LLP
55 Hudson Yards, 20th Floor
New York, New York 10001

Dear Mr. Wolosky:

       Thank you for speaking with us this past Friday and for your follow-up letter this
afternoon. We understand that your client, Dr. Fiona Hill, former Senior Director for European
and Russian Affairs for the National Security Council (NSC), plans to appear on Monday,
October 14, 2019, for a non-public deposition conducted by the U.S. House of Representatives
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Committee on Oversight and Reform, and
Committee on Foreign Affairs (the House Committees).

       We appreciate that Dr. Hill is aware of her continuing obligation not to reveal classified
information or information subject to executive privilege. As we discussed, that information
includes but is not limited to the content of communications between the President and foreign
heads of state and other diplomatic communications.

       It has been the longstanding position of Administrations of both political parties-indeed,
dating back to the very first presidential administration '-that such diplomatic communications
are protected by executive privilege. As Attorney General Reno explained during the Clinton
Administration:

       History is replete with examples of the Executive's refusal to produce to Congress
       diplomatic communications and related documents because of the prejudicial
       impact such disclosure could have on the President's ability to conduct foreign
       relations. It is equally well established that executive privilege applies to
       communications to and from the President and Vice President and to White House
       and NSC deliberative communications.2


   See fHistory ofRefusals by Executive Branch Officials to Provide Information Demanded by Congress, 6 Op.
   O.L.C. 751, 753 (1982) (noting that in response to a request for documents relating to negotiation of the Jay
   Treaty with Great Britain, President Washington sent a letter to Congress stating, Itlo admit, then, a right in the
   House of Representatives to demand, and to have, as a matter of course, all the papers respecting a negotiation
   with a foreign Power, would be to establish a dangerous precedent.) (citation omitted).
   Assertion of Executive Privilege for Documents Concerning Conduct of Foreign Affairs with Respect to Haiti,
   20 Op. O.L.C. 5, 6 (1996) (citation and paragraph break omitted).

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