Bipartisan Effort Underway To Create Secret Service Privilege
By Frank Sesno and Wolf Blitzer/CNN
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Sen. Orrin Hatch
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WASHINGTON (July 28) --Two key senators are crafting legislation to create a new "protective function privilege" to shield Secret Service agents from having to testify unless there is specific criminal activity, CNN has learned.
According to two sources on Capitol Hill, Sen. Orrin Hatch, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democrat on the committee, have met to discuss the bill, which they hope to submit jointly before the August recess.
The protective function it would extend to the Secret Service would be similar to attorney-client privilege.
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Sen. Patrick Leahy
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Details of the bill are still being worked out, officials say, and in any case the bill would not provide any relief or protection for agents who have already been called to testify before the grand jury looking into the Monica Lewinsky matter.
The Secret Service has received a copy of the draft bill and is playing an informal role in shaping it. Sources tell CNN the Secret Service would welcome the legislation.
Earlier this month, the courts refused to recognize a Secret Service privilege. In the ruling the court said the proper way to extend such protection would be through the legislative branch.
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