WASHINGTON
Michaele and Tareq Salahi didn't look out of place at Tuesday's White House state dinner. They were all smiles as they rubbed shoulders with Vice President Joe Biden, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty and CBS News anchor Katie Couric.
No one suspected the Salahis were a couple of brazen party crashers — and wannabe reality TV stars.
The Secret Service is looking into its security procedures after determining that the Virginia couple managed to slip into Tuesday night's event even though they were not on the guest list, agency spokesman Ed Donovan said.
President Barack Obama was never in any danger because the Salahis went through the same security screening for weapons as the 300-plus people actually invited to the dinner honoring Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Donovan said.
Donovan confirmed the identities of the couple. The Washington Post, which first reported on their evening out, said the Salahis were well-known in the Virginia horse-country set and were being considered for the Bravo reality TV show "Real Housewives of D.C."
In an interview with CBS' "Early Show" in September, Michaele Salahi said, "President Obama has made it very accessible for anyone to visit the White House, so that's like a big thing right now." The CBS interview was part of a segment on potential candidates for "Real Housewives of D.C." but never was aired.
The Secret Service learned about the security breach Wednesday after a media inquiry prompted by the Salahis' online boasts about having attended the private event, Donovan said.
One of the many photos from the dinner posted on Michaele Salahi's Facebook page shows the couple with a smiling Biden. In other photos, they appear alone or together with Emanuel, Fenty, Couric, Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., and three Marines in their dress blues.
Donovan would not comment on whether the couple had been contacted by the Secret Service, how long they were on the White House grounds or other details of the investigation.
The Post said uninvited guests who got in could face a potential trespassing charge unless someone from inside the White House staff slipped them in.
Donovan would not comment on possible legal violations.
"They'll go through all of this and see what went wrong and fix it," Frances Townsend, who was the White House-based counterterrorism adviser for President George W. Bush, told CNN in an interview broadcast Thursday.
The agency's Office of Professional Responsibility was reviewing what occurred. An initial finding indicated that a checkpoint did not follow proper procedures to ensure the two were on the guest list, Donovan said.
"It's important to note that they went through all the security screenings — the magnetometer screening — just like all the other guests did," Donovan said. And, he added, Obama and others under Secret Service protection had their usual security details with them.
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throw them in jail
Throw them in jail and fire any Secret Service as well as White House staff that allow this to happen.
Their need to be in the limelight borders on "SICK"!
Would a magnetometer
detect a knife made of sharpened glass or strong plastic? Would it detect a vial of deadly acid?
White House Security?
Michaele and Tareq Salahi did what probably any islamic terrorist would do....there's no profiling anymore. I commend them and hopefully the security will close ranks around our president, the Hussien Obama.
check you brain
Anyone remember the "Handshake Guy?" Got into Clinton and Bush inagurations and shook their hands? Security caught him in 2004 and banned him from the White House for (I think) 4-5 years? Color is not what is important here.....security is what is important, and the Secret Service just isn't doing the job very well. These crackpots need to go into "reality" - JAIL
lock them up
More reality show wannabees....Any way you look at it, what they did was illegal and they should be arrested. Maybe they could go to jail along with the UFO parents. TV networks also share some of the responsibility for these crazy individuals. Our society has become obsessed with watching "reality" shows and the networks are only to happy to keep cramming more of them down our throats. I'm sure it won't be long before one of the networks features a serial murderer or child molester in their daily life.
Lax security
No matter how you look at it, the secret service dropped the ball. When it comes to protecting the president there is a "zero" percentage of error. All it takes is "One aw crap to wipe out a thousand atta boys".
seabee
"Who really care "?
inside connection
$ounds like an in$ide job to me. Know what I am $aying?
Should they prosecute barry obama too?
If they prosecute this couple for trespassing, they should do the same to the imposter that occupies the building (the White House).
I'd submit that barry obama has less right to be in that residence than the couple did. At least the couple are US citizens and can probably show you a valid US birth certificate (long form) and probably even have a US passport..........
IMPEACH OBAMA!
Getting it racist
Would you ask the US President to show his birth certificate and passport if he were a WHITE President? I think not. Your "Birther" remarks are racisim hidden behind a false front of concern. In reality you cannot believe that a black man could be elected president. "There must be SOMEthing wrong!"
Do you honestly think Hillary Clinton and her supporters would have given up if they thought for one minute there was an ounce of truth in the claim that Barack Obama was not eligible because of where he was born?
You are not just an idiot, you are a racist idiot.
Poor soul
No brain to think for himself he parrots untruths heard from other idiots.
GettingItRight
has GottenItWrong
HOW DO YOU KNOW
how do you know they were US citizens? How do we know you are a citizen? It's sad that in this day there are still socially ignorant people in the world. It doesn't matter who these people were, they were wrong and revealed a flaw in the system.
Shame on you
It's unfortunate you had nothing better to do today than embarrass yourself.
What do you mean, in no real danger?
That is a crock. These two were not vetted, checked out, no background check done on them. No one knew of them, no one could vouch for them, and they got into the same party as the President? Whether you like, or dislike our President, NO ONE gets that dang close to him without someone knowing who the heck these people are.
So what they did not have a gun, knive, or other method to harm. No one knew what their motives were. These two got pictures with Biden, our second in charge, at a state sponsored event? What would have happened, if instead of getting close to Biden for a picture, they broke Biden's neck. He was that close. This is news. These two should be imprisoned for getting that close, or should they be made a part of the Obama cabinet? After all, they did illegally get into that function, they did nothing wrong (other than be there), all they wanted to do was get some pictures (are we sure?). Kind of reminds me of another group of people who just slip through our boarders and folks feel that is OK as well (illegal immigrants and possible terrorists come to mind). This is scary and wrong.
why does everything have to
why does everything have to be on RACE -
the security made a terrible mistake and this President probably has move security than any white president has in the past. I wonder how many times this has happened in the past, but no big deal was made of it because the past presidents were WHITE.
For someone who doesn't want
For someone who doesn't want to make a race issue out of this...you sure did a good job of it!!! Why has everyone become so defensive about their race since the President has been elected....Just because he's the first black president. He's really NOT black...truly...and there was a first white president too...
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