For Cheney, office's relocation out of executive is nothing new

[cal04]

While news of the re-location of the Vice President's office outside of the executive branch surprised many political observers Thursday, earlier news reports reveal that Dick Cheney and his staff have long maintained that for the purposes of certain laws, the Office of the Vice President is a unique part of the government that is not part of the executive or legislative branches.

In 2005, the Center for Public Integrity reported that Cheney's office has considered itself outside the executive branch since 2002 when it argued that it was exempt from disclosing trips taken by its employees paid for by non-federal sources.

"Instead of making disclosures like most of the White House, Cheney's office since March 2002 has periodically responded to inquiries by stating that it is not obligated to file such disclosure forms for travel funded by non-federal sources," wrote Kate Sheppard and Bob Williams. "The letters were signed by then-Counsel to the Vice President David Addington...In the letters to the Office of Government Ethics, Addington writes that the Office of the Vice President is not classified as an agency of the executive branch and is therefore not required to issue reports on travel, lodging and related expenses funded by non-federal sources."

Tom Fitton of the group Judicial Watch went on to tell the CPI that for Cheney and his staff, "Their view is that the vice president is a constitutional office that is not subject to the laws that others in the executive branch are. They have been consistent in that."


http://rawstory.com/news/2007/For_Cheney_offices_relocation_out_of_0624.html

[rodeodance]

1. so the VP has made this asertion previously. WHOW

[RufusEarl]

2. So people in power have known since 2002, that Cheney has

be running his office outside any known branch of the government and no one has said anything until now.

These people have no plans on leaving office, they can't if they did someone would be able to get their hands on all of Chaney's top secret papers.

[Robson]

3. Does Cheney serve at the pleasure of Bush?

If so then it would appear his office is organizationally in the executive branch. The office of the VP has no relevance to the Constitutional balance of power other than serving as a tie breaker in the Senate.

[Solly Mack]

4. In September of 2004, Henry Waxman released a report detailing

the secrecy of the Bush administration - to include Cheney's bullshit.