AP: Court Blocks Feds on Congressman's Files (update)

[Eugene]

Court Blocks Feds on Congressman's Files

By TONI LOCY
The Associated Press
Friday, July 28, 2006; 8:35 PM

WASHINGTON -- A federal appeals court on Friday barred the Justice Department
from reviewing evidence seized from a Louisiana congressman's office during
an unprecedented FBI raid on his Capitol Hill office in May.

A three-judge panel ordered a federal trial judge to ensure that Democratic
Rep. William Jefferson be given copies of seized evidence contained on more
than a dozen computer hard drives, several floppy disks and two boxes
of paper documents.

The panel said Jefferson then must be given the opportunity to invoke
legislative privilege claims in private with the trial judge before
investigators can review the materials.

-snip-

The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
Circuit said Jefferson's appeal will be placed on hold while Hogan resolves
any legislative privilege claims raised by the congressman. The three-judge
panel's members are David B. Sentelle, Janice Rogers Brown and Thomas B.
Griffith.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/28/AR2006072801164.html

Earlier LBN thread: AP: Judges Delay Investigation of Congressman (William Jefferson)

Both sides are claiming a victory as Rep. Jefferson didn't get everything he asked for.

[Kagemusha]

1. The real issue is, was, and always will be, legit privilege or not

And that ought to have been the only one from the start.