Judge: White House visitor logs are public documents

[Kristina]

Judge: White House visitor logs are public documents

Story Highlights
Bush administration has fought release of visitor logs

Records are created by Secret Service; subject to Freedom of Information Act

Data was being turned over to White House; treated as presidential records





     
WASHINGTON (AP) -- White House visitor logs are public documents, a federal judge ruled Monday, rejecting a legal strategy that the Bush administration had hoped would get around public records laws.




The Bush administration had been fighting the release of White House visitor logs.

 The ruling is a blow to the Bush administration, which is fighting the release of records showing visits by lobbyist Jack Abramoff and prominent religious conservatives.

The records are created by the Secret Service, which is subject to the Freedom of Information Act. But the Bush administration has ordered the data turned over to the White House, where they are treated as presidential records outside the scope of the public records law.

U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth said logs from the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney's residence are subject to public records request. E-mail to a friend

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/12/17/white.house.secrecy.ap/index.html

[Volitzer]

Chalk one up for the Constitution.