Government Secrecy: What Does Congress Need to Know?
Television producer Lear, the founder of People for the American Way, discussed the purpose of the organization. Ornstein served as moderato… read more
Television producer Lear, the founder of People for the American Way, discussed the purpose of the organization. Ornstein served as moderator of the panel discussion. The thesis put to the panel was that there had been an explosion of secrecy in recent years. Scowcroft said it is not something new, but that the Reagan administration had become secretive because it was especially “leaky.” Rep. Hamilton, who was chairman of the House Iran- Contra committee, said that there had been a sharp increase in the number of covert operations and the amount of the “black budget” in addition to increased numbers of secret documents. The panel discussed the growth in secrecy being a result of a growing struggle between the executive and legislative branches. Much of the discussion centered around the Iran-Contra affair. Rep. Hamilton commented on the need for policies to be made “through the process,” even if covert operations in support of the policy need to be carried out secretly. close
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Charles J. Cooper Assistant Attorney General (Former) Department of Justice->Office of Legal Counsel
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