Visitors Logs

Knock, Knock? Who's There? 75,000 Folks Who Visited The White House

Christina Bellantoni | January 29, 2010, 3:59PM

The White House

Help TPM sort through the latest batch of White House visitor logs - now totaling 75,000 names.

The records cover the month of October.

Our previous coverage can be found here.

The spreadsheet posted at WhiteHouse.gov offers the visitor's full name, date of visit, who they met with and in what room.

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Visitors Logs

Help TPM Scour White House Visitors Logs

Christina Bellantoni | December 30, 2009, 6:36PM

Today the Obama administration released a monster document with more than 25,000 names of people who visited the White House - the first time any executive branch has given a full accounting of who is there and when.

It's the very first batch since the White House fully implemented its new transparency push, and covers from Sept. 16 through Sept. 30. There also was a limited release of people who came to the White House earlier in the year as requested by news organizations and open government groups.

(More details on that here.)

Some names pop out right away, while others are more obscure or were reported earlier this year when we wrote up the limited releases.

TPM could use your help scanning the visitors logs.

You can view the spreadsheet here at WhiteHouse.gov on the bottom of the page, but it is in a fairly unwieldy format. It's probably easiest to download as a CSV file and then import into a spreadsheet program for easy sorting.

If names jump out at you, please let us know. Pop the person's full name, date they visited and who they met with into the comments section below. You can also email us here, but please put Visitors Logs in the subject line.

Bloomberg has a good write up here and the Examiner details the lobbyists who were there.

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Visitors Logs

White House Releases Name Of Every Visitor For First Time Ever

Christina Bellantoni | December 30, 2009, 3:34PM

Fulfilling one of the transparency goals of President Obama's administration, the White House today released more than 25,000 records of visitors who came through the gates at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue this year.

Check out the names here, and TPMDC will update readers as we go through the names.

The spreadsheet posted at WhiteHouse.gov offers the visitor's full name, date of visit, who they met with and in what room. These records cover from Sept. 16 to Sept. 30, and the monthly visitors logs will be a regular release going forward.

There also are records of visitors who met with Vice President Joe Biden and his staff, but the system that collects the names is not in place yet for the vice president's residence at the Naval Observatory.

Vice President Joe Biden office released for the first time the names of visitors who have come to his residence at the Naval Observatory for official events. The office also is working with Secret Service to get the automated system that collects names of visitors in place at the residence.

Those records are marked with VPR on the data sheet.

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White House

White House: Look! We're Changing Washington!

Christina Bellantoni | December 4, 2009, 10:46AM

White House

The White House is pleased with a new Congressional Research Service report showing that since taking office in January, President Obama has made "historic" change to how lobbyists interact with the executive branch.

Norm Eisen, special counsel to the president for ethics and government reform, blogged today at WhiteHouse.gov a long item boasting about the report's findings.

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Visitors Logs

Who Visited The White House (And Why You Should Care)

Christina Bellantoni | November 25, 2009, 4:38PM

White House

Taking a step back, let's evaluate what the release of 1,615 visitors to the White House show us.

* First, it's a busy White House.

President Obama has often been accused of doing too much, and it's clear from the frequency the gates open that his team has dozens of balls up in the air at once.

From health care summits, education strategy talks with state and big-city officials in the Oval Office and meetings with industry leaders to press interviews, poetry readings and the luau for members of Congress, by all accounts there is never a dull moment at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

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Visitors Logs

FCC Chairman Jules Genachowski On White House Visitors List 46 Times

Christina Bellantoni | November 25, 2009, 3:07PM

Julius Genachowski, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission

FCC Chairman Jules Genachowski has been a frequent White House visitor, both before and after getting the job.

His first meeting on Feb. 18, according to the White House visitors logs released today, was several weeks before he was nominated for the job.

He came again Feb. 24 to meet with Pete Rouse.

The day before President Obama nominated him, Genachowski met with both David Axelrod and Valerie Jarret, presidential advisers.

He was nominated March 3.

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Barack Obama

UPDATED: Some War! Chamber CEO Visited White House Ten Times

Zachary Roth | November 25, 2009, 2:54PM

Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Donohue

Last month, the White House was accused of launching "a frontal assault against free enterprise and the Chamber of Commerce," by an executive of the business lobby.

It's true that the White house signaled its intention to play hardball with the Chamber. But it's not like the group has been shut out from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue since Obama took office.

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Visitors Logs

UPDATED: White House 'Message Meeting' For Pundits On List

Christina Bellantoni | November 25, 2009, 2:28PM

A group of Democratic talking heads gathered at the White House March 13 for a meeting with Ellen Moran and David Axelrod.

The White House visitors logs released today show Axelrod, President Obama's senior adviser, met that day for about two hours in the West Wing with 18 people. Among them were Chris Kofinis, Karen Finney, Margaret Omero, Margaret Myers, Steve McMahon, Peter Fenn, Michael Feldman, Jennifer Palmeri, Hillary Rosen, Simon Rosenberg, Brad Woodhouse (of the DNC) and Mo Elleithee.

It was called a "communications message meeting" on the spreadsheet.

A source who attended the meeting tells TPMDC the White House hosts weekly message calls sharing their talking points with pundits who appear on television. The meetings are sometimes hosted in person at the White House. The March meeting actually was called and led by Moran, then communications director. She has since departed the White House.

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Visitors Logs

New Logs Show Obama's Private Oval Office Meeting With Colin Powell On Afghanistan

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 25, 2009, 2:25PM

New visitors logs released by the White House today seem to confirm that Colin Powell has been among those President Obama has consulted with while drafting a new strategy for Afghanistan.

The logs don't include any details of the meeting, other than the fact that it was between the two men alone. That makes it one of less than a dozen total one-on-one meetings with Obama included in today's list.

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Barack Obama

MoveOn's Pariser Met With Obama

Zachary Roth | November 25, 2009, 2:15PM

Eli Pariser, former executive director of MoveOn.org

If you've been feeling like President Obama has shut out his progressive base since taking office, you might be mildly comforted to know that the POTUS met directly with MoveOn's Eli Pariser back in February, according to White House visitor logs.

Pariser is the former executive director, and current board preisdnet, of MoveOn.org.

Another MoveOn leader doesn't seem to have had as much access. Joan Blades, one half of the California couple that founded the group, made her own White House visit in March, but it was with a mid-level aide to Michelle Obama.

Visitors Logs

Chevron CEO Visited Five Times, Had One-on-One With Rahm

Rachel Slajda | November 25, 2009, 2:02PM

David J. O'Reilly, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chevron Co.

David J. O'Reilly, the chairman and CEO of Chevron Corp., visited the White House at least five times this year, including a one-on-one meeting with Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel on Sept. 17.

O'Reilly also met once with Carol Browner, the director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy, on Feb. 10. He met twice with Larry Summers, the director of the National Economic Council, once on Feb. 10 and once on Sept. 18.

He was also part of the audience when President Obama spoke to the Business Council on Feb. 13.

Barack Obama

Cory Booker Met With Obama, Jarrett

Zachary Roth | November 25, 2009, 1:56PM

Newark Mayor Cory Booker

Newark mayor Cory Booker has visited President Obama's White House four times, including one meeting with the president himself, according to the White House visitor logs that were released this afternoon.

The meeting with Obama occurred in March. There was another White House visit later that month for Booker, as well as one in May. And in August, Booker met with Valerie Jarrett, a close confidante of the president.

Booker and Obama have long been political allies, and some observers have noted that Booker's "post-racial' political style echoes the president's own.

Visitors Logs

White House Visitors Logs: Who Came To See President Obama?

Christina Bellantoni | November 25, 2009, 1:13PM

White House

The White House just posted more than 1,600 records of visitors who came through the gates at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue this year. The release includes the names of people who visited President Obama and other top officials.

Check out the names here, and TPMDC will update readers as we go through the names.

As we reported earlier, the White House is releasing the names from before Sept. 15 as part of its new transparency policy.

It's an earlier release than expected due to the holiday.

They are the first administration in history to release the names of people who have visited the White House. Read through our coverage of the release here. The spreadsheet is more detailed than the last one, offering a description of the meeting.

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Visitors Logs

No Pardon For The Press: WH Visitors' Names Being Released Today

Christina Bellantoni | November 25, 2009, 10:24AM

President Barack Obama

The White House this afternoon will be releasing more names of visitors who came through the gates at Pennsylvania Avenue this year.

Last month the administration for the first time offered citizens a look at names - requested by watchdog groups and press - and starting at the end of this year they will release every name.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters in his morning gaggle this morning there are about 1,600 names on this list that covers requests before Sept. 15.

The names would normally come out at the end of the day the last Friday of the month. They are being posted at WhiteHouse.gov early due to the holiday.

Visitors Logs

Andy Stern Appears Most Often On WH Logs Released Tonight

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 30, 2009, 7:22PM

SEIU President Andy Stern

Who are the most frequent guests at the White House? It's impossible to tell from tonight's massive dump of White House visitors logs. The lists are based on media requests, meaning names that weren't specifically asked for by reporters don't appear.

Still, there are some interesting findings in the partial list.

SEIU president Andy Stern appears most often on the list. He visited the White House around 20 times in the past nine months, according to the logs. Former Obama transition director John Podesta appeared about 17 times. NOW president Kim Gandy was the third most popular with about 15 visits.

It makes sense that Stern would be a popular guest -- beyond leading a group key to the Democratic base, Stern's SEIU has been a leading voice on behalf of health care reform.

Visitors Logs

The HHS Secretary Who Wasn't Seems To Be Among Most Frequent WH Visitors

Christina Bellantoni | October 30, 2009, 7:21PM

Fmr. Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD)

Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) visited the White House grounds 11 times this year, the records of some visitors released tonight by the Obama administration show.

Daschle, a friend and key Obama adviser during the campaign who dropped out due to tax problems after being nominated as secretary of Health and Human Services, was at the White House on Inauguration Day.

He also was there Jan. 25 with Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Jan. 26, Jan. 27, Jan. 28 meeting with David Axelrod's assistant, Jan. 28 meeting with OMB chief Peter Orszag, and twice on Jan. 29, meeting with Larry Summers.

Daschle, a top adviser for a lobbying firm that deals with the health industry Alston & Bird, withdrew his nomination in early February amid questions about his taxes.

He appears on the list again as a White House visitor on June 1, July 15 and July 16.

Visitors Logs

Corporate Visits: Exxon Chief Rex Tillerson Met With Summers, Climate Czar

Justin Elliott | October 30, 2009, 6:41PM

ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson

Exxon Mobil chief executive Rex Tillerson has taken three trips to the White House, including two for private meetings with top Obama aides, according to visitor logs.

In February, Tillerson, who in January had thrown cold water on Obama's alternative energy plan, was one of three visitors meeting with Carol Browner, head of the Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy. And in May, he was one of two visitors who huddled with top economic aide Larry Summers.

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Visitors Logs

Celebrities Among Visitors At White House

Christina Bellantoni | October 30, 2009, 6:05PM

Actor Denzel Washington, Talk show host Oprah Winfrey

Going through the names of visitors to the White House released this evening, TPMDC has spotted several A-listers.

Oprah Winfrey was at the White House on Inauguration Day, when President Obama had a private party with close friends.

Feb. 17 she met with First Lady Michelle Obama in the White House residence.

Academy Award Winner Denzel Washington, who was among the emcees at the Lincoln Memorial concert inauguration weekend, was at the White House either May 7 or May 9. The White House says one of the visitors is a "false positive" of someone with the same name.

Tennis great Serena Williams was among the visitors to the White House on July 14, July 24 and July 27. On one of those visits she was in the White House residence.

Actor Hill Harper, a close personal friend of Obama's who appeared with him on the campaign trail in Iowa, was at the White House May 12 and May 14. On the first visit he met with the president.

Some of these celebs have been reported either by eagle-eyed reporters or released via photos by the official White House photographers.

Worth noting the records are not exhaustive - they only reflect the names requested via Freedom of Information Act the new disclosure policy. Corrected.

Visitors Logs

Alan Greenspan Dropped By Obama White House Six Times

Justin Elliott | October 30, 2009, 5:36PM

Fmr. Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan

According to those just-released visitor logs, Alan Greenspan, the former Fed chair who many blame for laying policy groundwork that contributed to the financial crisis, has visited the Obama White House six times in the past nine months.

Those included a one-on-one visit with top Obama economic aide Larry Summers and two meetings with Peter Orszag, accompanied by one other visitor.

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Visitors Logs

Al Gore Visited WH Four Times, But Not To See Obama

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 30, 2009, 5:33PM

Fmr. Vice President Al Gore

Newly released White House visitors logs show Al Gore has returned to his former offices on Pennsylvania Ave. four times since President Obama moved in back in January. The meetings were not all publicly disclosed in advance.

The former vice president didn't come to see fellow his fellow Nobel laureate in the Oval Office. Gore stopped off at the White House on April 6-8 and visited climate czar John Holdren twice in April and White House staffers Kate Brandt and Brian Jung.

White House

White House Releases Names Of Some Visitors From Last Nine Months

Christina Bellantoni | October 30, 2009, 4:48PM

White House

Who has bent President Obama's ear? Or huddled with Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel?

The White House just posted nearly 500 records. Check it out here, and TPMDC will update readers as we go through the names.

Norm Eisen, special counsel to Obama on ethics, detailed the release in a blog post and said the 110 requests cover from January 20, 2009 to July 31, 2009.

Eisen writes:

There's an important lesson here as well. This unprecedented level of transparency can sometimes be confusing rather than providing clear information.

A lot of people visit the White House, up to 100,000 each month, with many of those folks coming to tour the buildings. Given this large amount of data, the records we are publishing today include a few "false positives" - names that make you think of a well-known person, but are actually someone else. In September, requests were submitted for the names of some famous or controversial figures (for example Michael Jordan, William Ayers, Michael Moore, Jeremiah Wright, Robert Kelly ("R. Kelly"), and Malik Shabazz). The well-known individuals with those names never actually came to the White House. Nevertheless, we were asked for those names and so we have included records for those individuals who were here and share the same names.

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