WASHINGTON (AP)  A federal judge on Saturday ordered Dick Cheney to preserve a wide range of records from his time as vice president.

The decision by the judge, Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, is a setback for the Bush administration in its effort to promote a narrow definition of materials that must be safeguarded under the Presidential Records Act.

The Bush administration’s legal position “heightens the court’s concern” that some records might not be preserved, Judge Kollar-Kotelly said.

A private group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, is suing Mr. Cheney and the Executive Office of the President to ensure that no presidential records are destroyed or handled in a way that makes them unavailable to the public.