Freeh on how his encryption statements must be okayed
HEARING OF THE HOUSE GOVERNMENT REFORM AND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE SUBJECT: THE INDEPENDENT COUNSEL ACT CHAIRED BY: REPRESENTATIVE DAN BURTON (R-IN) WITNESSES: LOUIS FREEH, DIRECTOR OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION; DONALD SMALTZ, THE INDEPENDENT COUNSEL'S OFFICE 2154 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 10:05 A.M. EST [...] REP. STEVE HORN (R-CA): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Director, going back to the Franklin Roosevelt administration, each administration has had a policy on the clearance of testimony, the review of testimony by high-ranking officials before they come up to the Hill. Was your statement cleared by OMB and/or the White House? MR. FREEH: As far as I know it was not. I gave a copy to the attorney general. She gave me a copy of hers. But there was no editing or suggestions done. I don't know if OMB got it or not. Maybe I can find out. (Confers with staff.) REP. HORN: Is that the usual procedure? MR. FREEH: I'm told they did not get a copy. REP. HORN: Yeah. Is that - what is the usual procedure to review MR. FREEH: The usual procedure would be, if I'm talking about counterterrorism or encryption, which I won't talk about today, yeah, we send it up to OMB, they review it. Sometimes they have suggestions, sometimes they have objections. We discuss that. That was not done in this case. [...]
participants (1)
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Declan McCullagh