White House releases Jan. logs of visitors to Biden, aides

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Friday began voluntarily identifying people who visited with President Joe Biden or his aides, reinstating a practice put in place by Democrat Barack Obama but later dropped by Republican Donald Trump.

“This release was made in accordance with the reinstated policy to voluntarily disclose White House visitor logs,” the White House said. “These logs give the public a look into the visitors entering and exiting the White House campus for appointments, tours, and official business — making good on President Biden’s commitment to restore integrity, transparency, and trust in government.”

Nearly 400 names appear in the records released Friday, covering the period from Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, to Jan. 31. Seven individuals met with Biden, who is identified as “POTUS” — for “President of the United States.”

Six of the seven saw the president on Jan. 25, including Charlene Austin, wife of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Biden signed an executive order on Jan. 25 reversing Trump's ban on transgender individuals serving in the U.S. military. Secretary Austin attended the Oval Office signing.

The seventh person saw Biden on Jan. 21, the president's first full day in office.

The White House said Biden’s administration will be the first to release visitor logs from its first full year in office. The logs will be posted monthly and include appointment information for people who were processed to enter the White House complex, including the White House, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and the New Executive Office Building.

Records from the Naval Observatory — where Vice President Kamala Harris' official residence is located — will also be released when they are generated, the White House said.

But the logs will provide just a partial...