When President Trump conducts the public’s business from the White House, the public has a right to know who he’s conducting it with. That’s why his decision to keep the White House visitor logs secret is an attack on the principle of open government our democracy relies on.

Trump’s decision reverses President Obama’s policy of publishing visitor logs, which was hailed by open government advocates as a step forward for transparency, and provided a valuable resource to journalists and anyone seeking to hold the President accountable.

But the current President’s administration is shrouded in controversy -- from his unaddressed conflicts of interests, to his unprecedented refusal to publish his tax returns, to him and his team’s undisclosed ties with the Russian government. His repeated attempts to shield himself from public scrutiny and oversight should alarm anyone who cares about transparency.

President Trump works for us -- the American people. And if he won’t be straightforward with us, it’s up to our representatives in Congress to make him come clean.

That’s why our lawmakers must immediately pass the MAR-A-LAGO Act, which would make public visitor logs from the White House and anywhere else the President regularly conducts business, like the Florida estate that lends its name to the bill.

It’s our right and duty as citizens to hold the President to the highest standards of ethics and transparency. Congress must pass the MAR-A-LAGO Act so we can hold Donald Trump accountable.