WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Democratic U.S. Senators are seeking the release of more documents relating to Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr.
Specifically, the senators are after some 2,100 memos and letters which were not included in the 60,000 documents that have been released so far. They have been withheld by government archivists working in concert with the Bush White House, the Washington Post reported.
The Democrats say they believe the topics in them include Roberts commenting on presidential pardons, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and aspects of the Iran-contra scandal, the report said.
The Post reported with Senate hearings two weeks away, Democrats privately say the documents about Roberts' White House work from 1981 through 1986 probably do not contain disclosures that would threaten his confirmation. But, it said, some senators, working with liberal special-interest groups opposed to Roberts, consider the documents potentially relevant.
National Archives officials cite invasion of privacy, jeopardizing law enforcement operations or potentially harming national security among reasons for withholding the papers.
