"A U.S. attorney would not be permitted to bring contempt charges or convene a grand jury in an executive privilege case," said a senior official, who said his remarks reflect a consensus within the administration. "And a U.S. attorney wouldn't be permitted to argue against the reasoned legal opinion that the Justice Department provided. No one should expect that to happen."

Ummmm, yeah... This has gone from bad to worse. I'm not seeing any resolution to this other than impeachment and removal from office. Nixon at least tried to hide his attempts at the cover-up, these guys are doing it in broad daylight.

Broader Privilege Claimed In Firings - washingtonpost.com