"The president was forced to turn over many tapes of internal deliberations at the White House because there was a pending criminal case where that evidence was relevant, " Toobin said.

CNN: Executive privilege: Legitimate claim or blocking move?

The criminal case is pending in federal court in White Plains.

WSJ: Case Spurred Bribery Probe

The case is being closely watched for the evidence it might produce, which could in turn affect a pending criminal investigation, also in Austin, where a Travis County grand jury has indicted several top fund-raisers on similar charges.

NPR: Washington Eyes DeLay PAC Trial in Texas