White House reverses policy of identifying visitors

WASHINGTON — Breaking with the practice of President Trump’s predecessor, the White House is keeping secret the lists of visitors to the building.

The Trump administration cited privacy and national security concerns on Friday, but the decision angered government watchdog groups who accused Trump of reneging on his promise to “drain the swamp” in Washington. The groups see the visitor logs as important tools for monitoring which individuals or groups may be trying to influence White House policy. Trump also has been widely criticized for a lack of openness in refusing to release his tax returns, breaking with decades of precedent.

Senior White House officials argued that the decision to keep the logs secret is in line with what previous administrations have done, except for President Barack Obama’s, and that continuing Obama’s practice of voluntarily releasing the records could interfere with policy development.

White House communications director Michael Dubke said Trump has taken steps to improve the ethical climate in Washington, such as imposing new restrictions on lobbying by departing administration officials.

He said the decision was based on the “grave national security risks and privacy concerns of the hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.”

But Judicial Watch, a conservative legal advocacy group that has sued administrations of both parties over the visitor records and other matters, argued Trump should allow the Secret Service to release the logs under the Freedom of Information Act, which would allow sensitive details to remain private. The White House says the records are exempt from the law.

“This new secrecy policy undermines the rule of law and suggests this White House doesn’t want to be accountable to the American people,” said Tom Fitton, the group’s president.

The Obama administration initially fought attempts by Congress and conservative and liberal groups to obtain visitor records. But after being sued, it voluntarily began disclosing the logs in December 2009, posting records every three to four months. It continued to release the records even though a federal appeals court ruled in 2013 that the logs can be withheld under presidential executive privilege.