Reading Room Document

Authority of Comptroller General to Obtain Information Relating to United States Metric Board Appointments and Recent Coal Strike

This document discusses two requests for information from the General Accounting Office (GAO) related to appointments to the United States Metric Board and data and memoranda connected with a coal strike. The conclusion reached is that the Comptroller General lacks authority to obtain the information sought. The document presents questions about the authority of the Comptroller General to access the information, the relevance and importance of the information sought, and the constitutional privilege for confidential communications. It also raises concerns about the jurisdiction of the Comptroller General and the power of Congress to restrict the President's discretion in nominating officers of the United States.

August 31, 1978