The White House tried to mediate between the CIA and the Senate panel that oversees it after both sides alleged they were spied on by the other over an interrogation program, a source familiar with the discussion said.
The involvement of the White House's most senior lawyer indicates President Barack Obama's interest in ending the increasingly bitter dispute between the Central Intelligence Agency and the Senate Intelligence Committee.
White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler has attempted to "de-escalate" the tension, the source said.