WASHINGTON – The Bush administration told a court this month it shouldn't have to disclose White House visits by two Republican activists entangled in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal because the information was privileged and might reveal how President Bush and his staff get private advice.
However, the administration has now decided to release the White House entry logs for Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed as early as Wednesday evening, settling an election-year legal dispute with the Democratic Party and an ethics watchdog group, officials told The Associated Press.
The logs will show Norquist and Reed attended numerous functions including Christmas parties and policy briefings and met with Bush staff members but had no one-on-one meetings with the president, according to people familiar with the records.
In a court filing earlier this month, Justice Department lawyers representing the administration stated that information about the Norquist and Reed visits should be protected from public disclosure under the doctrine of "deliberative process privilege."
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox