A trove of Clinton White House records long processed for release remains hidden from public view at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock — even though the legal basis initially used to withhold them expired more than a year ago.
The papers contain confidential advice given to or sought by President Bill Clinton, including communications with then-first lady Hillary Clinton, and records about people considered for appointments to federal office.
About 33,000 pages of documents are involved, according to the National Archives, which runs the library.
Under the Presidential Records Act, such records can be withheld for up to 12 years after a president leaves office. However, at the 12-year mark, those broad restrictions fall away and the once-secret presidential papers are generally subject to disclosure. For the Clinton files, that milestone came and went in January 2013.
The long-sealed records pose a delicate series of choices for the Clintons, and even President Barack Obama. They could allow disclosure of the papers, fueling new stories about old controversies like Whitewater and pardons granted as the 42nd president left office in 2001. Or they could fight to keep some or all of the files secret, likely triggering a court battle and stoking concerns that the former president and his wife are unduly secretive.
Either way, it’s a potentially messy situation unfolding just as Hillary Clinton — widely considered a clear front-runner for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination — mulls over whether to make a second bid to return to the White House.
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WHY YOU SHOULD LOBBY CONGRESS
Citizens may feel it is a waste of time to contact elected leaders, because their minds are made up already. But on most issues, legislators try hard to determine the desires and leanings of their constituency before they vote. Politicians worry about being re-elected, and know that the happier their constituency, the more likely their own re-election.
Contact Your Members Of Congress On This Issue!
Tell your members Of Congress That Its Time To End The Illegal Actions Of The Obama Admin & Other Government Agencies!
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