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... In a 21-page opinion published Monday evening, the Office of Legal Counsel told the White House that the president can move to extend executive privilege, the right of the president to contain confidential communications within the executive branch, to advisers who do not work for the White House, but who provide him with direct advice.

The new opinion says that executive privilege can apply to private advisers of the president if the communications "relate to official presidential decisionmaking," are confidential, and involve conversations between the president and his direct team of advisers.

The opinion, which is not binding, comes months before a contentious midterm election that could result in Democrats winning one or both houses in Congress. If that were to happen, a barrage of investigations could follow and may expand the number of individuals potentially protected from future testimony or investigation.

Executive privilege is often asserted by the president in conversations with executive branch staff, like lawyers who work for the White House, but the new step could protect Mr. Trump's outside legal counsel and other advisers from divulging information in future congressional investigations or legal proceedings. ...