What Now?

The White House has been trying to avoid showing records of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's visits by claiming that visitor logs are presidential records. U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth today ruled that they are in fact, as they have always been, Secret Service records, and are therefore subject to public viewing under FOI requests. Interestingly, the judge ordered the White House to turn over records on visits of several religious leaders. In the Abramoff case, however, the question was whether it was illegal for the White House to order the Secret Service to destroy their copies of the logs after they'd given them to the President, and Judge Lamberth said he didn't have the authority to rule on that issue. Hmm.

....well, do what you want....you will anyway.