White House cites executive privilege, keeps Obama adviser from testifying about

[apples]

White House cites executive privilege, keeps Obama adviser from testifying about Iran nuclear deal

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/may/17/wh-cites-executive-privilege-obama-adviser-testify/

Sen. Tom Cotton accepted the challenge, but President Obama?s speechwriter and high-ranking foreign policy adviser Ben Rhodes ducked out of a hearing Tuesday where he was to explain whether he misled the country in pushing the Iran nuclear deal.

Members of Congress had been eager to prod Mr. Rhodes over misrepresentations, but the White House had seemed skeptical, saying lawmakers should poke one of their own, Mr. Cotton, an Arkansas Republican that Mr. Obama?s aides say has been misleading.

Mr. Cotton jumped at the chance ? and then the White House backed out, refusing to let Mr. Rhodes testify, citing executive privilege.

[PzLdr]

I wonder whether, if the Congress took it to court, the White House could successfully assert executive privilege in a case where Rhodes publicly talked about the Iran deal to the media? But then again, they didn't challenge, in any meaningful way, Lois Lerner's assertion of the 5th Amendment, after she waived it by making an opening statement [even when Trey Gowdy pointed out the waiver].