CNN Fact Check: The administration posts White House visitors online

28 Jan 2010 // Claim: For the first time in history - my administration posts our White House visitors online.

Verdict: The Obama administration did make history by posting its logs online. You can browse them yourself here.

But the release of these logs came only after a legal challenge by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The group filed suit seeking the logs related to the visits by certain groups. When the Obama administration settled the suit it went further, agreeing to post the logs of all visitors from September 15 onward.

While this seems like a big win for transparency, Melanie Sloan, the executive director of CREW, says because the administration voluntarily agreed to release the logs, the administration could later decide to reverse this decision. Additionally, nothing compels the next administration to take the same course. Nothing besides the promise that a reversal would provoke a resumption of legal action!

Bottom line: The Obama administration did pioneer new transparency in visitor logs but it took outside pressure to get there.