White House keeps visitor list secret

WASHINGTON — The White House said Friday that lists of visitors to the building will be kept secret, breaking with the practice of President Donald Trump’s predecessor.

The Trump administration cited privacy and national security concerns, but the decision angered 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 has been criticized for a lack of openness.

Senior White House officials argued that the decision 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 and opening the White House press briefing room to outlets that previously didn’t have access.

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

But Judicial Watch, a conservative legal advocacy group which has sued administrations of both parties over the visitor records and other matters, argued that Trump should allow the Secret Service to release the logs under the Freedom of Information Act.