The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to force Vice President Dick Cheney to reveal the contacts his energy task force had with the industry.

By a 7-2 vote, the justices sent the case back to a lower court for further proceedings. The decision means any information that might be gained from the lawsuit will be delayed until after the November election.

The Sierra Club, an environmentalist organization, and Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, filed the suit to find out with whom Cheney's task force while developing a national energy policy. A lower court ordered the White House to release the information but the Bush administration appealed.

Get the Story:
High Court Backs Vice President (The Washington Post 6/25)
pwpwd
Justices' Ruling Postpones Resolution of Cheney Case (The New York Times 6/25)
pwnyt

Get the Decision:
Cheney v. US District Court (June 24, 2004)

Related Stories:
High court hears dispute over Cheney energy panel (04/28)
Judge orders release of White House energy papers (04/02)
Scalia won't step down from Cheney energy case (03/19)
Scalia asked to step down from Cheney energy case (3/2)
Supreme Court accepts Cheney task force dispute (12/16)
White House asks Supreme Court to review energy case (09/17)
Appeals court won't keep Cheney energy records secret (07/09)
Appeals court hears Cheney energy task force case (04/18)
Cheney wins energy task force suit (12/10)
GAO challenge to Cheney dismissed (12/9)
White House ordered to release documents (10/18)
DOJ seeks dismissal of GAO suit (05/23)
Consulting after the fact (3/27)
Cheney task force losing cases (3/6)
Judges on energy cases get itchy (3/1)
Energy documents ordered released (2/28)
Details of Cheney oil meeting sought (2/27)
Senate leader sides against Cheney (2/25)
White House ordered to keep records (2/13)
EPA memo questioned energy policy (2/6)
GAO to sue White House over task force (1/31)
Who's been driving around in that Jaguar? (1/31)
GAO to sue White House on records (1/30)
Congress, White House fight a familiar one (1/30)
Congress, White House fight a familiar one (1/30)
Bush defends secrecy of records (1/29)
Cheney lawsuit on records 'highly likely' (1/28)
Cheney pushed again on energy records (1/24)
Enron debate a political gamble (1/14)
Cheney met with failed Enron Corp. (1/9)
DOE sued for energy policy records (12/12)
GAO delaying Cheney challenge (11/9)
Cheney refuses request for documents (9/7)
Energy documents demanded of Bush (8/21)
Cheney won't give up energy records (8/6)
GAO ready to fight over energy probe (8/4)
Bush to release environmental documents (7/30)
Committee wants to subpoena Bush documents (7/25)
GAO demands Cheney energy policy records (7/19)
Cheney still not cooperating with probe (6/26)
Cheney not cooperating with GAO probe (6/19)
Hearing on secret energy meetings wanted (6/6)
Nation in dark about energy plan (5/16)
DOE wants task force documents secret (5/11)