Nov. 28 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama met in the receiving line an uninvited couple who slipped past security at this weeks state dinner honoring India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a photograph released yesterday by the White House shows.
The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the breach, which director Mark Sullivan said deeply concerned and embarrassed the agency. Agents failed to follow procedures that should have prevented the man and woman from crashing the event, he said.
The preliminary findings of our internal investigation have determined established protocols were not followed at an initial checkpoint, Sullivan said yesterday.
It remained unclear how long the couple, identified as Tareq and Michaele Salahi of Virginia, stayed at the event.
Although these individuals went through magnetometers and other levels of screening, they should have been prohibited from entering the event entirely, Sullivan said. That failing is ours.
Michaele Salahi posted photos on her Facebook page of the couple posing prior to the Nov. 24 dinner with Vice President Joe Biden and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, as well as other guests.
It was the first state dinner of Obamas presidency and the Salahis werent on the official guest list that included more than 300 people.
Presidents Confidence
Nick Shapiro, a White House spokesman, said the president continues to have full confidence in the Secret Service.
The Salahis and their publicity agent in Washington didnt respond to telephone calls and e-mails requesting comment. The couples attorney in Baltimore, Paul Gardner, said they were approved to enter the White House.
My clients were cleared by the White House to be there, Gardner said in an e-mail response. He didnt elaborate.
The couple has been vying for a spot on a cable reality- television program, the Washington Post reported. Michaele Salahis Facebook page says she is a model who has appeared in various national magazines. She lists her interests as Fashion, Travel, DC Galas/Balls for Charitable & Political Support, Horses, Polo & Champagne.
The Secret Service investigation is being conducted by the agencys Office of Professional Responsibility, an internal affairs unit that looks into allegations of misconduct or matters involving protection of the president.
Core of Investigation
The fact that they were not on the invitation list and they did get in, thats the core of this investigation, Secret Service spokesman Jim Mackin said earlier yesterday. The couple was allowed past one checkpoint to the metal detectors. We dont know why, we dont know why that judgment was made.
He said an agent may have thought there was a problem with the list, and that they would be verified at the next checkpoint. It wont happen again.
Mackin said there was no physical threat to the president or vice president because the couple had to pass through the metal detectors, only one of several layers of security that we dont talk about.
Once people come into the White House, that doesnt mean we all stand back, let the party take place, he said. Were still working.
Brian Williams, anchor of the NBC Nightly News and an invited guest at the dinner, said in an interview on the network that he noticed the couple when he arrived at the White House.
Video Camera
The vehicle carrying them was initially turned away at the east gate of the White House grounds and the couple got out, trailed by a person with a video camera, Williams said. He later saw them at the cocktail reception. There was no evidence the camera operator entered the White House grounds.
Williams said he passed through two identity checks and three security checkpoints going into the dinner.
Ari Fleischer, who served as former President George W. Bushs press secretary, recalled how a person named Richard Weaver penetrated security at the Capitol after Bushs swearing- in ceremony on Jan. 20, 2001. This was after the Secret Service distributed Weavers picture following a similar incident at President Bill Clintons second inauguration in 1997.
Weaver still managed to get through, approached the president and gave him a coin and departed, Fleischer said of the encounter at the East Front of the Capitol.
At a state dinner, nobody, but nobody, should get in if theyre not on a list, Fleischer said. Unless somebody on the political side, or the Office of the Social Secretary overruled the Secret Service, then it certainly did fall to the Secret Service.
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Hilarious Salahis & President Obama Ball: Low Moves For "High" Agentsby studenlawyer1,454 views
Wow.......why doesnt this surprise me. they tried to let some JFK shit go down early.....
carlosjenkins187 3 months ago
i don't think the couple themselves are the problem. The main thing is why the security is so lose and it's entirely the problem of the secret service lol
cairobaby 1 year ago
@halim181276 THE US loves Bin Ladens, brothers and sisters and parents, they are the richest oil taycoons in Middle east.
donnomar 1 year ago
thats amazing
tvcrunkfool 1 year ago
OMG, lucky they were not bin laden's brothers and sisters.
halim181276 2 years ago
people actually give a shit about this?
They just are a bunch of social power hungry rich fucks
volumedealer1 2 years ago
I wonder if Barack would be so quick to pull Executive Priviledge for his wifes Girlfriend if those people had hurt the honored quests from India? Letting the SS take the full hit for Desiree Rogers incompetance and arrogance is disgraceful...but so very typical of the Obama's. This so called social secretary also gets a huge salary for being a "special aide to the president"...double dipping $ for being unqualified for any job. If that aint up the Obama's A...(uhh, alley), I don't know what is!
great123usa 2 years ago
bush: Look bro, I was praying for ya, now ya made me stop. We gotta proceed in baby steps...we can't begin with the taching of the Holy Trinity right off the bat! You're an aggravating little bugger, but there is something about you I like...I think it's because we're brothers. Ok now, quiet while I get back to my prayers...PLEASE stay out of trouble while I'm gone, ok?
Loyolajack 2 years ago
cokehorse, watch it man, my Keyboard can beat up your keyboard! LOL
bushtyranny 2 years ago
Loyolajack, God loves me as much as he did when he died on the cross? But I thought the SON of God died on the cross? See, you Christians don't even know who you are praying to. And I bet Ken Ley of Enron must be a Christ too, who Died and was resurected without Jail time to live on an island full of wealth. Did I mention he was Bush's buddy?
And somebody at Enron Party crashed it when they filmed Bush and Ley laughing and joking about artificial energy demand scam. And video disapeared.....
bushtyranny 2 years ago