Friday August 3 7:25 PM ET

Cheney Declines to Give Congress Energy Documents

By Randall Mikkelsen

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney has declined to turn over documents sought by Congress in an inquiry into how the Bush administration's energy policy was formed, according to letters from Cheney released on Friday.

Cheney said in letters to the House of Representatives and the Senate that the request for meeting records of President Bush's energy task force, which was headed by the vice president, ``would unconstitutionally interfere with the functioning of the executive branch.''

An aide to California Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, one of the lawmakers who originally requested the information, said Cheney appeared to be heading for a legal showdown.

``It looks like they are sort of intent on going to court,'' said the aide, speaking on condition of anonymity.

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[A letter written by Cheney] said the GAO lacked authority to investigate the performance of the president or vice president
in carrying out their constitutional duties.

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The force has been criticized for its closed-door meetings and meetings with industry officials as it developed the energy policy Bush unveiled May 17. Bush called for stimulating production of coal, oil and nuclear power as well as conservation measures.

Cheney in June turned over records relating to the costs of the energy task force, but the GAO sought additional records, raising the possibility of taking the issue to court.

The agency sought names of people attending the energy policy group meetings and of panel staff workers. It also sought records of meetings that energy panel staff or Cheney had with people to gather information relevant to the energy plan.

The Waxman aide said any decision on going to court would be up to Walker, who was quoted in Friday's Washington Post as saying Cheney's attorneys were waging a ``frontal assault'' on the GAO's authority. ``We cannot let that stand,'' Walker said.

Senior Cheney aide Mary Matalin said the panel had done its work properly.

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