The President and the Independent Counsel

The President and the Independent Counsel BRETi' M.KAVANAUGH* TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION........................•............... ... 2134 I. BACKGROUND. ....................................... 2138 A. THE CURRENT LEGAL SCHEME .......................... 2138 1. The Policy Justification r a Special Counsel.......... 2138 2. Two Statutory Mechanisms r Appointment of Special Counsels .................................... 2139 B. ARE OUTSE FEDERAL PROSECUTORS EVER NECESSARY? ..... .. 2140 1. An Illusory Debate ............................. 2140 2. The Deeply Rooted Amerian Tradition of Appointing Outside Federal Prosecutors....................... 2142 3. Outside Federal Prosecutors are Necessary in Some Cases ....................................... 2145 II. IMPROVING T SYSTEM . .. ..........................•.. 2145 A. APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL OF T SPECIAL COUNSEL........ 2146 1. Appointment of the Special Counsel ................ 2146 2. Removal of the Special Counsel ............... . ... 2151 B. T CCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH A SPECIAL COUNSEL SHOULD BE APPOTED ...................................• 2152 C. JURISDICTION ...............................•.. _ .. 2153 D. REPORTS ................ ................ ........ 2155 E. INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF THE PRESENT ...... ... 2157 F. THE PRESIDENT'S PRIVILEGES ..... .................. . .. 2161 1. Non-Constitutional Executive Privileges ............. 2163 2. Constitutionally Based Executive Privileges........... 2166 3. The Relevance of Nixon to a Claim of Govemental Attoey-Client or Work Product Privilege............ 2172 * Mr. Kavanaugh served as Associate Counsel in the Office of the Whitewater Independent Counsel om 1994 to 1997 and also r a period in 1998. The views reflected in this article are his own. 2133

The President and the Independent Counsel

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