President Donald Trump's private advisors and attorneys are now protected by executive privilege as long as their conversations relate to the president's official decision-making, according to a Tuesday memo from the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel."The need for presidential confidentiality applies to communications with private advisers just as it does with government officials," the 21-page memo stated.The memo, written by Assistant Attorney General Elliot Gaiser, comes months ahead of the midterm elections as Democrats battle for control of Congress.Democrats have pledged to continue their investigations into Trump and his family's business dealings and financial investments, potentially using subpoenas and congressional hearings to advance those probes.TRUMP AG PICK TODD BLANCHE FACES SENATE TEST IN FIRST MAJOR CONFIRMATION FIGHT SINCE GRAHAM’S DEATHA split image of the Capitol Building and Donald Trump ((Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Finn Gomez/Getty Images))Under the Office of Legal Counsel's new nonbinding memo, private citizens who have offered advice in confidential conversations with Trump or White House staffers about official presidential duties can claim executive privilege if they're subpoenaed by Congress."The presidential communications privilege is rooted in the need for confidentiality to ensure that [this] presidential decision-making is of the highest caliber, informed by honest advice and full knowledge," the memo stated.
"Without a promise of confidentiality, the President’s ability to ‘decide and act quickly’ on matters of unrivaled importance would be seriously hindered."The memo noted that the president may sometimes need expertise and guidance from an outside source who could be crucial to making the best decision.Gaiser also acknowledged that a private adviser to the president may be more hesitant to offer guidance because of concerns that doing so could negatively affect the adviser's livelihood."Such individuals...