Tech companies mum on Trump executive privilege memo
Top tech companies are staying quiet so far about a new Justice Department memo that signals an executive privilege assertion over a wide swath of his communications with the private sector.
The Justice Department has released a memo indicating President Donald Trump believes executive privilege applies to his communications with numerous private sector figures. Major tech companies such as SpaceX, Nvidia, OpenAI, Meta, and Apple have remained silent on the matter, not providing comment when asked about the memo from the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel.
The memo asserts that such contacts with "private advisers... so long as they relate to official presidential decisionmaking" fall under executive privilege. This development could potentially lead to conflicts with any future House Democratic majority, who are eager to obtain these private-sector communications to counter the administration's stonewalling tactics.
Representative Robert Garcia of the Oversight Committee expressed readiness to defend the power and authority of the House. A legal expert cautioned that if the administration's broad assertion holds up, it could extend to a wide range of corporate leaders who have interacted with Trump, potentially catching many off guard due to his extensive and unrestrained communication with various private sector leaders.
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