White House temporarily shuts down petition site

The White House petition site "We the People" where citizens voice their concerns has been temporarily shut down.

President Donald Trump's administration said the platform, launched in 2011 by former President Barack Obama, was shut down on Monday night and will return late January as a new site, reports Xinhua news agency.

A White House official said the decision will save taxpayers $1.3 million annually.

The official also said all existing petitions and responses will be preserved.

Petitions that attract 100,000 signatures will trigger a White House response.

The administration has not responded to any of over a dozen petitions that have reached that threshold since the Trump took office in January.

Among those are petitions urging the President to release his tax returns and to place his assets in a blind trust.

--IANS

ksk/vm