Number: RL31397
Title: Walker v. Cheney: Statutory and Constitutional Issues Arising From the General Accounting Office's Suit Against the Vice President
Authors: T.J. Halstead, American Law Division 
Abstract: The Comptroller General's suit to obtain information from the Administration pertaining to the purpose and agenda of meetings of the National Energy Policy Development Group, chaired by Vice President Cheney marks the first time the General Accounting Office has exercised its authority to sue an Executive Branch entity in an effort to obtain information pursuant to 31 U.S.C. Section 716. Accordingly, novel questions have been raised concerning the scope of GAO's authority to investigate and compel information from Executive Branch entities. Likewise, there are also significant constitutional issues at play regarding the delegation of investigative and access enforcement authority to GAO by Congress, as well as the applicability of the presidential communications privilege to the information at issue.
Pages: 16
Date: Updated May 1, 2002