Editorial: Name that guest!

Ruling bolsters public's right to know the identities of people visiting the president and vice president.

20 Dec 2007 // The Bush administration's drive to expand executive power and conduct public business in secret is one of the defining characteristics of its seven-year tenure.

Typical is its attempt to shield the contents of entry and exit logs at executive offices and residences from disclosure under freedom of information statutes. The Secret Service maintains security perimeters of those areas, conducts background checks on all visitors and compiles computer records of all comings and goings. After taking office in 2001, Bush administration officials sought control of the logs.

In a welcome defense of government transparency, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth rejected the administration's argument that the logs are presidential papers that cannot be made public until years after the occupant leaves office. Lamberth found that the Secret Service has responsibility for maintaining the records and dismissed government arguments that disclosing the contents of the logs would interfere with or disclose policy deliberations by top officials.

The litigation was brought by a public watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The group initially filed freedom of information requests to the Secret Service for documentation of White House visits by the former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, since convicted on several charges.

The group later sought similar material relating to visits by Christian conservative leaders.

When the Secret Service failed to respond to the requests, CREW sued in federal court. CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan praised Judge Lamberth for "seeing through the White House's transparent attempts to hide public documents from the American people."

Before Bush took office, the logs were maintained by the Secret Service and regarded as agency documents subject to FOI requests. The logs have been used in congressional investigations, including the probe of the relationship between President Bill Clinton and intern Monica Lewinsky.

However, shortly after taking office in 2001, Bush officials began changing record-keeping procedures and had the Secret Service turn over the computer records to the White House. The Secret Service then destroyed its copies, a practice that was halted in 2004 when the National Archives intervened.

A confidential memorandum of understanding between the Secret Service and the White House Office of Record Management last year specified that visitor records were under "the exclusive legal custody and control" of the White House.

In accordance with the agreement, the Secret Service transferred all visitor logs to the White House.

At the same time, the agency without explanation transferred all of the data for the previous Clinton years to the National Archives, where it would be subject to open records claims in the future.

It would appear that even as they sought control over visitor records for this presidency, Bush officials wanted to make sure the Clinton documents remained in the public record. That's a clear indication that their motive for keeping their own logs out of public view has more to do with politics than good government.

Since the White House has the option of appealing Judge Lamberth's ruling, Bush and Cheney might leave office with their guest lists still hidden from public view. Final judgment in the case should prevent future administrations from similar maneuvers.