Republicans have demanded answers regarding the lack of transparency regarding the visitor logs from President Joe Biden’s Delaware residence, and the response they just received will not improve the situation in the future.
In response to a Freedom of Information Act request, the U.S. Secret Service reportedly refuses to release communications that identify visitors to Biden’s Delaware homes.
“Please be advised that emails reflecting visitors to President Biden’s residences in Wilmington, Delaware, and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware are not agency records subject to the FOIA. See Doyle v. U.S. Dep’t of Homeland Sec., 959 F.3d 72 (2d Cir. 2020) (finding that emails regarding expected visitors to the sitting President’s residence were not agency records subject to the FOIA.),” the officer said in a letter.
The New York Post noted that it had submitted its own Freedom of Information Act request and that the Secret Service claimed last year that “no records were located” regarding Biden’s Delaware guests.
“A Secret Service FOIA officer cited a federal appeals court ruling in New York regarding visitor information for former President Donald Trump’s residences, even though the ruling doesn’t bind the actions of officials in Delaware or in DC,” the New York Post reported.
Republicans wanted Biden to release his visitor logs for his Delaware home but are really quiet about DeSantis changing Florida laws to hide his travel records & visitor logs.
it’s going to be a NO for me, 2024 & beyond pic.twitter.com/0251vAfb4h
— Mostly Peaceful Latinas (@mplpodcast305) May 12, 2023
Amid a scandal involving the president’s possible illegal possession of classified documents, the Secret Service stated earlier this year that it was “gathering” information about who visited Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware residence.
According to the Washington Examiner, the demand includes information on “all individuals” who visited the residence as well as other locations where Biden hid classified documents, including his private office at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C.
There’s evidence that indicates Biden knew about the Biden family influence-peddling scheme – including text messages, emails, a voicemail, visitor logs, and on-the-record accounts.
We need a special counsel to investigate.https://t.co/D4rd8baykZ
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) May 6, 2023
🚨🚨🚨
I’m calling on @POTUS Chief of Staff Ron Klain to release the visitor log for President Biden’s Wilmington residence & provide info about all properties & locations searched, including the identities of the Biden aides conducting the searches.👇🏼https://t.co/4M3O2oWUNB
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) January 15, 2023
The publication stated further:
Monday, Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson requested visitor logs from the Secret Service in a letter obtained first by the Washington Examiner. Now, the Secret Service has stated that it is evaluating the letter and is “currently gathering” various information, in addition to “working through appropriate channels” to identify what “may be responsive to Congressional inquiries.”
“We have received Senator Grassley’s letter and are currently reviewing it,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the outlet, adding that the USSS does not maintain “formal and comprehensive visitor logs for protected residences.”
“What I mean by that is there is not a system of validated visitor logs as you find at the White House or other government facilities that fall under the Presidential Records Act,” he noted further in a Wednesday email to the outlet.
Guglielmi did note, however, that the agency maintains some records on visitors such as “contractors” and “workers.” In addition, the Secret Service obtains information regarding the “law enforcement and criminal justice” background of individuals who visit protected sites.
At Biden’s garage in Wilmington, where he houses his vintage Chevrolet Corvette, classified documents were discovered strewn about.
“I hope the Secret Service will be transparent and cooperative as Sen. Grassley and I investigate Joe Biden’s mishandling of our nation’s top secrets,” Johnson said on Monday.
After initially refuting it, the Secret Service stated that it had records of who had visited Biden’s Delaware home.
More on this story via Conservative Brief:
Following an initial report that the documents were discovered, congressional Republicans demanded to see visitor logs from the Biden residence but were told by the agency that because it is a private home, no official visitor logs were kept. CONTINUE READING…
