News » April 15, 2004

The Task at Hand

Will Cheney’s secret energy meetings see the light?

By Brian H. Kehrl

The Bush administration has until June 1 to turn over secret documents involving Vice President Dick Cheney’s energy task force or provide the legal grounds to withhold them.

U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman instructed the departments of the Interior and Defense, as well as several other government agencies, to make public thousands of pages of documents on the day-to-day operations of the classified meetings and records of the task force’s executive director, Energy Department employee Andrew Lundquist.

In his March 31 ruling, Friedman rejected arguments by the Bush administration that records from the meetings—including the names of those present—are protected by executive privilege. He found that the documents involve issues of public interest and importance and therefore fall under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

The task force, formally known as the National Energy Development Policy Group, was created by President Bush in early 2001 to devise the nation’s energy policy. It was chaired by Cheney and consisted of 10 Cabinet-level officials who met with representatives from oil, coal, gas and nuclear industries.

The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental advocacy group, and Judicial Watch, a government watchdog organization, jointly filed suit three years ago after the administration refused to turn over a full accounting of documents. According to the NRDC, the partial set they received already reveal that the task force drew heavily from industry representatives, often using their recommendations word for word.

The groups now contend that the remainder will prove that industry executives unduly influenced energy policy, particularly in relation to oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the weakening of power plant pollution standards. Judicial Watch also believes the documents will prove that former Enron chairman Kenneth Lay and influential lobbyists-turned-politicians Marc Racicot and Haley Barbour were present.

“The court decision opens up a potential treasure trove of information to the public on the operations of the energy task force,” says Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The Bush administration penchant for secrecy has suffered another set back in the courts.”

A related case in which Cheney also claims executive privilege will be heard April 27 by the U.S. Supreme Court. Despite the apparent conflict of interest, Cheney’s duck-hunting buddy Justice Antonin Scalia has refused to recuse himself from the case.

The administration is under additional scrutiny for its energy bill now before the Senate that provides subsidies to energy industries and could prove ruinous to the Clean Air, Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water acts.

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• Reader Comments

  Excellent.  Anything that exposes the lies and industry-serving motives of this administration is sorely needed, as you state.

  Posted by George Hamilton on Apr 15, 2004 at 1:24 PM

  I heard Bush say something on Apr. 13 in the News Conference to the effect of:
  “We knew that they (Iraq) were hiding things...a country that hides something is a country that is afraid of getting caught.”

  I just hope that the courts keep the backbone that some have seemed to find and do the right thing....not the right wing thing !!

  And, I also think that Scalia should recuse himself. Apparently he doesn’t think he has to follow the rules....

  I would say that this could go for governments too....especially
  this administration.  This administration has kept more information hidden than need be.
  So, if this administration is hiding things, it must mean that this President and his administration are afraid of getting caught. 

  Posted by Sue on Apr 15, 2004 at 4:10 PM

  Cheney is as unctuous as they come and as slippery and lethal as a herd of rattlers in a barrel of oil. He along with the rest of the Bush Administration belong in a maximum security prison for the rest of their unnatural lives on multiple grounds of treason. Impeachment is too good for them.

  Posted by Alfred Wamsley on Apr 15, 2004 at 9:21 PM

  I agree that the Bush Cartel belongs in jail, but let’s do this step-by-step.

  1) Impeach Bush, Chaney, Rumsfeld, Powell (aiding and abetting), Rice, DeLay, and Hastert.

  2) After conviction, sent the guilty to jail for life without parole (known as “forever").

  3) Note in all the history books that the Bush Dynasty is composed of crooks (Grandpa Prescott was nearly convicted of treason for trading with the enemy). Bush I committed multiple felonies during the Iran-Contra business, but he managed to skate clear (helps that Reagan was senile by then).

  Real nice bunch those Bushes.

  Register, Vote for Freedom!

  Posted by Rick Knighton on Apr 16, 2004 at 8:00 PM

  Executive privilege, hah! Connect the dots…
  The National Energy Development Policy Group was studying the map of foreign oil suitors in Iraq. (Judicial Watch obtained a copy of the map through partial compliance with their FOIA request) But the Policy Group’s hands were tied because U.S. companies were barred from oil contracts with Saddam. Bob Woodward’s new book reveals that Mr. Cheney had un “unhealthy fixation” on invading Iraq. Did he and his group also put pressure the on the Taliban about the oil pipline through Afghanistan, precipitating the 9/11 attacks? Remember, Cheney was also in charge of Bush’s bogus “study” of terrorism during the “summer of threat.” Interesting how Cheney had so much time for the Energy Group, but never, as far as I know, held one meeting about the terror threat he was charged with overseeing. There was a news report that a respected career diplomat from Pakistan says second-tier US diplomats met with the Taliban in the summer of 2001--right in the middle of the heightened threats from Bin Laden to promise them either a carpet of gold or a carpet of bombs. He passed the message on to the Taliban.

  Posted by c fowles on Apr 17, 2004 at 8:36 AM

• extended discussion >>>Continued...

  Discussions with more than 5 comments are continued on our special discussion page to encourage continuity and ease of use. There are currently 10 posts.

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