The Constitution mentions neither congressional oversight nor executive privilege. In that case, however, the court also ruled that the privilege was not absolute and did not shield Richard Nixon’s White House tape recordings from being released to the special prosecutor in the Watergate investigation. Bush administration — that executive privilege is at least as strong if not stronger against congressional demands for information. To a remarkable extent, the courts have been silent bystanders during the frequent disputes between Congress and the executive over access to information. The Trump White House, unfortunately, has shown little interest in respecting such norms.

Source: New York Times March 06, 2019 10:52 UTC