Trump's Privilege Playbook: Shielding Advisers from Accountability The Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel has issued a 21 page opinion that claims executive privilege can be extended to private advisers who provide direct advice to the president, as long as their communications relate to official presidential decisionmaking and are confidential.
The opinion, signed by Assistant Attorney General T.
Elliot Gaiser, has sparked concerns about the president's increasing reliance on executive privilege to shield his outside advisers from congressional and legal investigations.