WASHINGTON
The Bush administration is challenging a court ruling that White House
visitor logs are public documents, saying releasing the records would infringe
on the separation of powers.
White House documents are normally exempt from public records laws, but a
federal judge ruled in December that Secret Service visitor logs must be
released. The court sided with a liberal watchdog group that sought records
showing visits by prominent religious conservatives to the White House and Vice
President Dick Cheney's residence.
The Bush administration appealed and lawyers were scheduled to argue the case
Monday before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Government lawyers argue the president and vice president must be able to
receive visitors and solicit advice privately. They portrayed the request for
Secret Service records as an end-around, saying those same logs maintained by
the White House would never be considered public documents.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington wants to use the Secret
Service documents to show the influence religious conservatives have on the Bush
administration. The government argues that proves the records are related to the
White House, not to the workings of the Secret Service, and should not be
released.
"The prospect of each and every appointment record immediately becoming the
subject of forced public disclosure would surely cast a chill over the ability
of the president and vice president to collect information and advice," Justice
Department lawyers wrote in court documents.
CREW lawyers reject that argument. They say the documents shouldn't be
considered White House records simply because a watchdog group is trying to find
out what the White House is up to. The Secret Service created and controlled the
documents, the lawyers said, so they should be public.
Nearly two dozen news organizations, including The Associated Press, filed
court documents supporting the release of the Secret Service logs.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press
