It has also been called the " official information" privilege, the " intragovernmental opinion" privilege, and the " executive" privilege. SeeWalsh v. Chittenden Corp., 799 F.Supp. 405, 407 n. 3 (D.Vt.1992). The privilege shields from disclosure intra-agency or inter-agency " ‘ documents reflecting advisory opinions, recommendations and deliberations comprising part of a process by which governmental decisions and policies are formulated.’ "
Although not identical, the deliberative process, official information, and executive privileges are based on the common principle that the opinions, recommendations, and deliberations of government agents are not discoverable where the government demonstrates that a specific harm would result from disclosure. See. e.g., Securities Exchange Comm. v. Thrasher, 1995 WL 46681, at *10 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 7, 1995); Walsh v. Chittenden Corp., 799 F.Supp. 405, 407 n. 3 (D.Vt.1992). B.