Freeh on how his encryption statements must be okayed

[Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>]

	HEARING OF THE HOUSE GOVERNMENT REFORM AND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
	SUBJECT:  THE INDEPENDENT COUNSEL ACT
	CHAIRED BY:  REPRESENTATIVE DAN BURTON (R-IN)
	WITNESSES:
	LOUIS FREEH, DIRECTOR OF
	THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION;
	DONALD SMALTZ, THE INDEPENDENT COUNSEL'S OFFICE
	2154 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING
	WASHINGTON, DC
	10:05 A.M. EST

[...]
	
REP. STEVE HORN (R-CA):  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Director, going
back to the Franklin Roosevelt administration, each administration
has had a policy on the clearance of testimony, the review of
testimony by high-ranking officials before they come up to the
Hill.  Was your statement cleared by OMB and/or the White House?

MR. FREEH:  As far as I know it was not.  I gave a copy to the
attorney general.  She gave me a copy of hers.  But there was no
editing or suggestions done.  I don't know if OMB got it or not.
Maybe I can find out.  (Confers with staff.)

REP. HORN:  Is that the usual procedure?

MR. FREEH:  I'm told they did not get a copy.

REP. HORN:  Yeah.  Is that - what is the usual procedure to review

MR. FREEH:  The usual procedure would be, if I'm talking about
counterterrorism or encryption, which I won't talk about today,
yeah, we send it up to OMB, they review it.  Sometimes they have
suggestions, sometimes they have objections.  We discuss that. That
was not done in this case.

[...]