White House Security Breach

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright Dec. 6, 2009
All Rights Reserved.                    

           When White House party crashers Virginia-couple Tareq and Michaele Salahi slipped through tight Secret Service security Tuesday evening, Nov. 24 at an invitation-only state dinner honoring Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a major breach had occurred.  Trying to figure out the breakdown, director of the U.S. Secret Service Mark Sullivan testified Dec. 3 before the House Homeland Security Committee, explaining the lapse as an inadvertent glitch, not a systemic security failure.  “I believe it’s due just to poor judgment,” said Sullivan, denying that President Barack Obama, who was photographed with Tareq and Michaele, was in any danger.  Sullivan placed three Secret Service agents responsible for the affair on administrative leave.  Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) insisted the event was about “real-world threats to the nation.”

            Because the Salahis were not on the official guest list, attention has focused on White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers, a longtime Obama confident, responsible for bringing Barack into Chicago politics.  Rogers and the Salahis refused to voluntarily testify before Thompson’s panel, promising future subpoenas.  “Ms. Rogers is not a central figure in this security matter,” said Thompson but wants her to explain why she didn’t post representatives at security checkpoints.  Before the state dinner, Secret Service agents were instructed to notify a supervisor and White House Social Office if a name didn’t appear on the list.  Immediately after the event, the Michaele Salahi posted pictures, bragging, “I was honored to be invited to attend the first State Dinner.”  Michaele, an aspiring reality-TV star, was slated to play in Bravo’s new reality series, “The Real Housewives of DC.

            On Sept. 26, the Salahis were booted out of a $20,000 a table Congressional Black Caucus party, where President Obama was due to keynote the event. Congressional Black Caucus spokeswoman Muriel Cooper confirmed that a Bravo camera crew requested permission to film the day before.  Questioned on MSNBC about the president and First Lady’s reactions to the party crashing, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs acknowledged the First Couple’s dismay.  “It’s safe to say that he [Obama] and Michelle was angry,” said Gibbs, pointing fingers at the Secret Service.  When interviewed by Matt Laurer on NBC’s “Today Show,” the Salahis denied they crashed the presidential party or did anything inappropriate.  “We were invited, not crashers, and there isn’t anyone who would have the audacity or poor behavior to do that,” said Michaele, denying wrongdoing.

            It’s curious that Bravo producers filmed the Salahis the day before the event, without gaining access to the White House.  Tareq Salahi told MSNBC they were “very candid” with the Secret Service, turning over all their documents.  Denying that they entered the White House party illegally, Tareq insisted he turned over e-mails to the Secret Service to verify their invitations.  White House Social Secretary and longtime Obama friend Desiree Rogers refused to attend the Thursday, Nov. 4 Congressional hearing trying to get to the bottom of the lapse.  Real questions remain whether Rogers made some kind of special arrangement with Bravo to help promote their upcoming reality show, “The Real Housewives of DC.”  It’s questionable why the Secret Service dismissed the idea that Rogers may have been involved with Bravo’s producers helping the Salahis gain entry.

            Swirling speculation surrounds not the Secret Service but with White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers.  “The minute I saw them, because I was very surprised, I immediately grabbed the list and looked for their names and noticed it wasn’t there, which is very unusual,” said CBS News Congressional correspondent Roxanne Roberts.  Roberts couldn’t figure out how it was possible without some inside pull how the Salahis gained access to the party.  While fingers point toward the Secret Service, the White House Social Secretary skates by.  “This is really consistent with corner-cutting that’s been going on in the Secret Service ever since the Department of Homeland Security took over in 2003,” blaming, again, the wrong party.  All indications point toward a cryptic coordination between the White House Social Secretary, Bravo and the two notorious party crashers.

            Cracking the party-crashers case won’t be easy until White House makes Desiree Rogers available for unrestricted interrogation.  Diverting attention to Secret Service failures doesn’t account for the Bravo film crews heavily involved with documenting the Salahis’ next major publicity stunt.  When the president and First Lady’s safety is at stake, it’s no laughing matter when security breaches occur.  President Obama and First Lady Michelle’s lack of interest in the security breach suggest they don’t want their good friend Desiree caught in the scandal.  President Obama said he was “100% confident” with his Secret Service protection, though admitting to USA Today that a snafu took place.  Before Congressional Homeland Security Chair Thompson blames the Secret Service and gives White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers a free pass, he needs to get her under oath.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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