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Last updated on Wednesday, April 19, 2017
(WASHINGTON) - The White House announced Friday that they will not make their visitor logs public, a significant shift from the previous administration in terms of transparency.
Talk Media News reports that in a statement, White House Communications Director Michael Dubke said the decision was made out of "grave national security risks and privacy concerns of the hundreds of thousands of visitors annually."
Dubke noted that the administration will comply with Freedom of Information Act requests, but those only pertain to agencies on the White House ground, including the Office of Management and Budget, the Trade Representative's office and the Office of Science and Technology.
The Obama administration had defended a court decision that allowed them to choose not to disclose their records, but voluntarily posted logs of those who visited for official business.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has told reporters in the past few months that the administration was reviewing whether or not they would make the logs public.
Since Trump has assumed office, there have been incidents in which individuals have been spotted on White House grounds without appearing on the official schedule, including FBI Director James Comey and multiple lawmakers.
The White House's decision has drawn criticism from transparency and good government advocates.
"Elected officials work for the people and we deserve to see government business conducted in transparent daylight," American Civil Liberties Union Political Director Faiz Shakir said in a statement. "The only reasonable conclusion is to believe the Trump administration has many things it is trying to hide."
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