Justice Department Files Appeal On Secret Service Privilege
By Terry Frieden/CNN
WASHINGTON (June 12) -- The Justice Department Friday filed its appeal of a federal judge's decision that Secret Service agents protecting the president have no special privilege against testifying before a grand jury, according to government sources.
The Justice Department refused to confirm the filing, apparently because of court-ordered secrecy. But other officials familiar with the case tell CNN the appeal was filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington.
Without acknowledging an appeal had been filed, the court released a brief order indicating that documents in "a sealed case" would be made public at 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday, June 17.
The court gave any party objecting to the unsealing of documents in the case until 4 p.m. EDT Monday to file redacted versions, which would "black out" names of agents or other highly sensitive information.
The Justice Department appeal, strongly backed by the Treasury Department's Secret Service officials, is believed to include arguments similar to those rejected by District Court Judge Norma Holloway Johnson.
Johnson flatly dismissed the government's contention that a president might place himself at risk by keeping his protective Secret Service agents at a distance if the agents were required testify about what they had witnessed while protecting the president.
Independent Counsel Ken Starr is attempting to force agents who protect President Bill Clinton to testify before the federal grand jury investigating the president's relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
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