Since the 21st century, numerous non-governmental oversight organizations including the conservative legal group Judicial Watch, watchdog organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and the National Security Archive have persistently urged the U.S. federal government to disclose White House visitor records to enhance governmental transparency. In 2009, the Obama administration reached a settlement with CREW, agreeing to publicly release White House visitor logs after September 15, 2009 under a "voluntary disclosure policy," making it the first U.S. administration to disclose such records. However, the Trump administration leveraged new legal rulings in 2017 to cease publication of visitor logs, citing privacy and national security concerns. The Biden administration resumed this transparency practice upon taking office.
The White House visitor logs document visitors participating in various activities including meetings, dinners, speeches, and social events. These records may involve interactions with the President, Vice President, White House staff, cabinet members, and other government officials. The logs also track visitors from diverse industries and organizations, encompassing business leaders, academics, private citizens, and organizational representatives. Serving as a symbol of governmental transparency, these records constitute a crucial component of public accountability in U.S. governance.
As explicitly stipulated by the "voluntary disclosure policy," visitor logs will not be disclosed under the following five exceptional circumstances:
- Involvement of personal privacy or law enforcement issues
- Records concerning White House staff members
- Potential threats to national security interests
- Activities unrelated to official or political matters
- Meetings deemed exceptionally sensitive
USDataverse has systematically organized the White House visitor log data, containing detailed information such as visitor names, visited officials , arrival/departure times, and specific visitation locations , providing robust data support for related research.
Time Coverage
- Obama Administration: September 2009-2016
- Biden Administration: 2021-November 2022
Field Description
Sample Data
Update Frequency
Irregular update