White House Press Secretary Jay Carney declined to say Thursday whether materials on which President Barack Obama has asserted executive privilege related to ATF’s botched Fast and Furious operation were internal DOJ emails or communications with White House officials. Carney said the move would allow future administrations to properly respond to congressional and media requests without fear such information would later become public.
“This was an assertion based on that absolute need of this president as the stewart of the executive branch — not just for his administration but for every administration going forward — to retain the separation of powers, to protect the capacity of the executive branch to deliberate on these matters and to work independently and appropriately in response to these kinds of inquiries,” Carney said.
“I think most people in this room understand what this is about: politics. It is not about an effort to find out the truth in a serious matter, which is why the tactic used during this operation was used, how it originated and the consequences of using it,” Carney said.
