October 24, 2006

25 Oct 2006 // Washington, DC – Today Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed an administrative appeal with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for failing to disclose communications regarding the handling of Secret Service visitor records. CREW is seeking records of communications NARA had with the Secret Service regarding the agency’s practice of destroying visitor records to the White House. According to the Secret Service, it stopped destroying records in October 2004 at NARA’s direction. NARA has refused to disclose the documents, claiming they are protected by the deliberative process privilege and exempt from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

CREW is already in litigation with the Secret Service over its refusal to produce all records of White House visits made by Jack Abramoff and his associates.

In a separate case filed by The Washington Post, the Secret Service has taken the position that all White House visitor records are presidential records controlled exclusively by the White House and, therefore, are exempt from the FOIA. It now appears that the White House is also preventing NARA from disclosing documents that would contradict the White House’s claim that it has absolute custody and control over the visitor records.

In the past the Secret Service has taken a very different position, recognizing that visitor records are under the agency’s control. During the Clinton administration, for example, the Secret Service provided such records to Judicial Watch in litigation over Filegate. The records that NARA has refused to disclose to CREW would document this radical shift in position.

CREW’s executive director Melanie Sloan said today, “For months the Bush administration has been working to prevent the American public from learning of any contacts between administration officials and lobbyists, including Jack Abramoff.” Sloan continued, “In its continued efforts to hide the truth, it now appears that the White House has ordered NARA not to comply with CREW’s FOIA. CREW will continue to litigate this issue to ensure that the American public gets all the facts.”

CREW’s administrative appeal with NARA and all related documents are available at www.citizensforethics.org.

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Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions.

For more information, please visit www.citizensforethics.org or contact Naomi Seligman Steiner at 202.408.5565/ press@citizensforethics.org.