White House OKs release of more Reagan papers

By The Associated Press

06.17.02

Printer-friendly page

WASHINGTON — The White House on June 14 authorized the release of 23,653 pages of former President Reagan's records under a controversial executive order signed by President Bush.

White House counsel Alberto Gonzales also authorized the release of 844 pages of records of President Bush's father when he was vice president from 1981 to 1989.

Bush signed an executive order on Nov. 1, 2001, governing the release of presidential records from Reagan on. The order, being challenged in court, gives former presidents more authority to withhold certain papers and the sitting president the authority to overrule his predecessor.

By law, certain records of the Reagan era were closed for 12 years because they contained confidential internal advice and deliberations among government officials.

The 12 years were up in January 2001, but the White House counsel's office of the newly installed Bush administration delayed the release, leading ultimately to the president's signing the executive order.

White House spokeswoman Anne Womack said the Bush administration has now authorized the release of more than 90,000 under the executive order. She said this demonstrates efforts to expeditiously process presidential records and make them available to the public.

Previous

Some Reagan papers released
Still under wraps are 60,000 pages of former president's papers along with tens of thousands of records from his vice president, George Bush.  01.04.02