Cheney is to exec branch secrecy-what darkness is to the night

[kpete]

Noted With Interest
Vice President's Office Keeps Travel Expenses Under Wraps
Tuesday, November 29, 2005; Page A19

Open-government advocates say that Vice President Cheney is to executive branch secrecy what darkness is to the night.

More recently, a government watchdog group has called attention to less noticed records that Cheney has sought to keep private: travel costs.

In a report this month, the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity said Cheney and his staff have sidestepped regulations that require annual reporting of travel expenses of more than $250 received from outside groups. The center, which focuses on ethics and public service issues, said previous vice presidents routinely disclosed such payments for lodging, travel and food when the veep and his staff made appearances at colleges, think tanks and trade associations.


"t appears that his office labels them 'official travel,' " the center said. "As a result . . . the public is kept largely unaware of where he and his staff are traveling, with whom they are meeting and how much it costs, even though tax dollars are covering the bill."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/28/AR2005112801446.html