[JURIST] US Justice Department lawyers have asked a federal appeals court to overturn an October district court ruling [PDF text] ordering the Secret Service [official website] to release visitor logs [JURIST report] for the personal residence and office of Vice-President Dick Cheney [official website; JURIST news archive]. US District Judge Ricardo Urbina issued the order [PDF text] in a lawsuit brought by the Washington Post. The paper requested the logs in June while researching White House ties to political lobbyists. The request also included visitor logs for Cheney's legal counsel, chief spokesman, and other top aides.

In an appeal filed Wednesday with the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, government lawyers argued that requiring the public release of the visitor logs would be an "unprecedented intrusion into the daily operations of the vice presidency." The DOJ brief asserted that the Secret Service is not authorized to release the logs because they are controlled by Cheney's office and that presidential and vice presidential records are not subject to disclosure and are protected by executive privilege. AP has more.