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For Immediate Release
Contact:

Naomi Seligman 202.408.5565

Cheney Petitions Court to Block Addington Deposition

WASHINGTON

On the eve of the first scheduled deposition in CREW, et al. v. Cheney, et al., Vice President Cheney and the other defendants filed an emergency petition for a writ of mandamus with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Mandamus is an extraordinary remedy and defendants seek it here to have the D.C. Circuit intrude directly into the district court litigation by demanding that the district court judge vacate her discovery orders. The petition is based on a claim that the discovery authorized by the district court raises serious separation of powers concerns merely because the deponent is David Addington.

Anne Weismann, CREW's chief counsel, said today, "The White House, having failed to convince the Court that it is saving all that the Presidential Records Act required, is now attempting to stop any further fact-finding in order to prevent the plaintiffs, the court and the American people from learning the truth."

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials -- regardless of party affiliation -- who sacrifice the common good to special interests. CREW advances its mission using a combination of research, litigation and media outreach.