The United States Secret Service has declined to release emails containing information about visitors to President Joe Biden’s residences in Delaware, citing legal restrictions. The denial came in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request made by The Washington Post, which sought access to these records.
The requested information has the potential to shed light on prominent controversies surrounding the Biden family’s business dealings and the mishandling of classified documents by the president. However, the Secret Service has categorically refused to provide the records, despite a waiting period of over seven months. During this time, the agency claimed to be meticulously reviewing “thousands” of emails to comply with the requirements of the public-records law.
In justifying their decision, a FOIA officer referred to a federal appeals court ruling from 2020 that denied a similar request for visitor information pertaining to former President Donald Trump’s residences. Notably, this ruling does not legally bind officials in Delaware or Washington, D.C. The officer also cited the case of Doyle v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, emphasizing that emails related to expected visitors to the sitting president’s residences are not considered agency records subject to the FOIA.
The Secret Service had previously stated that they could not locate any records indicating logs of visitors to President Biden’s Delaware residences in response to an earlier FOIA request from The Post. In September, the agency rejected an appeal, once again asserting that no responsive records were found, despite conducting an additional search across relevant program offices.
“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 the letter.
Last year, the Secret Service claimed that “no records were located” showing “logs” of Biden’s Delaware visitors in response to The Post’s FOIA request. It also denied The Post’s appeal, arguing that “no responsive records” were found after an “additional search of relevant program offices.”
Amid the controversy, House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) released a statement, claiming that “President Biden pledged to have the most transparent administration in history but continues to hide information at every turn.”
“Given the Bidens’ influence peddling schemes and Joe Biden stashing classified documents for years, Americans need to know who has visited President Biden’s homes and properties.” Comer added.
