Executive Branch

Just Security’s expert authors provide analysis of the U.S. executive branch related to national security, rights, and the rule of law. Analysis and informational resources focus on the executive branch’s powers and their limits, and the actions of the president, administrative agencies, and federal officials.

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4,757 Articles
The dome of the U.S. Capitol Buidling and the US flag.

The Need for a Bipartisan Stand Against the White House Counsel Letter 

Former general counsel to Sen. Marco Rubio and senior Republican counsel on Senate Judiciary Committee writes about impeachment inquiry.
A newspaper illustration of the vote on the Impeachment of President Johnson in 1868.

White House Letter Distorts Both Law and History on Impeachment

Leading historian on impeachment heavily criticizes White House Counsel's representation of cases and historical practice.
Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, and Principal Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley listen during a Rose Garden event at the White House May 7, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Two Major Distortions in the White House’s Scorched Earth Letter to Congress

White House Counsel Cipollone's letter to Congress is a profoundly troubling document with a political purpose: stonewalling Congress while trying to muddy the waters with pretextual…
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

A Formal Vote to Authorize Impeachment Won’t Fix White House Obstruction — And Could Create More Roadblocks

A full vote by the House to support the ongoing impeachment inquiry could end up creating more roadblocks for Congress.
US Department of Justice building at night.

The Real Decline of OLC

How a string of controversial decisions by the Trump Office of Legal Counsel has eroded its legitimacy. From a former government attorney who served in the Trump administration's…
Redacted pages of the whistleblower complaint referring to US President Donald Trump's call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.

Open Letter Explains How Responsible Whistleblowers Make America Safer

An open letter, now signed by over 100 former national security officials from Republican and Democratic administrations, explains that responsible whistleblowers help ensure wrongdoing…

Overwhelming Confirmation of Whistleblower Complaint: An Annotation

A comprehensive guide to official documents and investigative reports that corroborate and confirm specific allegations in the Ukrainegate whistleblower's complaint.
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky smile at each other during a meeting in New York on September 25, 2019, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

“Play Ball”: Why the Panic Over a Trump-Zelenskyy White House Meeting?

The symbolism of a foreign leader meeting with the US president in the White House sends an unmistakable signal worldwide, especially in this case to Russia.
George Washington statue

Getting the Jay Treaty Right on “Executive Privilege”

A central historical claim in ongoing debates about the president's ability to keep diplomatic correspondence from the House of Representatives is not just flawed, but gets the…
US Capitol building at night.

Know Your Rights: Conversations with Congress

Federal employees have the right to communicate with Congress free from intimidation, bullying and unfair harassment.
Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Ruslan Riaboshapka

Ukraine Prosecutor General Announces Audit of Cases Including Firm Linked to Hunter Biden

The Prosecutor General’s announcement comes within twelve hours of the release of text messages showing U.S. diplomats working behind the scenes to advance President Donald Trump…
A page of the unclassified memorandum of U.S. President Donald Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from July 25, 2019 is shown September 27, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Trump’s Extortion of Ukraine Is an Impeachable Abuse of Power

The publicly known facts about President Trump’s interactions with Ukraine constitute a prima facie case for impeachment based on abuse of presidential power.
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