The Secret Service is declining to provide emails containing the identities of visitors to President Biden’s residences in Delaware. In response to a Freedom of Information Act request from The Post, the Secret Service claims that it is not legally permitted to disclose such information.
These emails could potentially have relevance to well-known controversies surrounding the business activities of the Biden family and the mishandling of classified documents by the president.
After a waiting period of over seven months, during which the agency stated that it was meticulously reviewing “thousands” of emails to comply with the law on public records, the Secret Service outright refused to release any documents.
The FOIA officer referred to a decision made by a federal appeals court in New York in 2020, which denied a request for visitor information pertaining to former President Donald Trump’s residences. It’s worth noting that this ruling does not legally obligate officials in Delaware or Washington, D.C., but it was cited as a reference in the current situation.
“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.).”
In response to a FOIA request submitted by The Post, the Secret Service stated last year that they were unable to find any records indicating the existence of visitor logs for President Biden’s Delaware residences.
In September, the Secret Service rejected an appeal and reiterated to The Post that they had found “no responsive records” even after conducting an “additional search of relevant program offices.”
The recent response to the more expansive request differs in that it does not explicitly deny the existence of relevant records, but rather states that they are unable to disclose them.
“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,” according to James Comer (R-Ky.), the chairman of the House Oversight Committee.
In January, amid the growing scandal surrounding classified documents, Chairman James Comer initially requested the visitor logs for President Biden’s Delaware residences. This request became more significant as the president himself acknowledged keeping records near his classic Corvette.
President Biden frequently visits his Delaware homes during weekends, which increased curiosity regarding his visitors. This interest intensified further when evidence emerged suggesting that Hunter Biden, the president’s son, had brought Mexican business associates to the vice presidential residence while Joe Biden held the position of vice president.
Additionally, Hunter Biden allegedly introduced his father to associates from two separate Chinese businesses during a dinner in Washington, D.C. There are indications that Hunter Biden listed the Wilmington home as his own address on a 2018 background check form, and a photo of a battered box labeled “Important Doc’s” was found on his abandoned laptop, seemingly taken at the house.
