Sen. Mike Lee, other GOP lawmakers press Secret Service for answers about cocaine found at White House
Republican lawmakers continue to direct questions at the Secret Service about the ziplock bag of cocaine found in the West Wing at the White House last week.
Sen. Mike Lee of Utah took to Twitter and said that he has used the entrance, where the substance was allegedly discovered, “a million times.”
“It’s one of the most heavily secured and constantly surveilled places on earth. They keep detailed records on who enters and exits and when,” he said. “I find it difficult to accept that they can’t figure out who put the cocaine there.”
I’ve been in and out of that entrance a million times. It’s one of the most heavily secured and constantly surveilled places on earth. They keep detailed records on who enters and exits and when. I find it difficult to accept that they can’t figure out who put the cocaine there. https://t.co/4g1X4Bg9NA
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) July 7, 2023
He said that the entrance to the West Wing, surrounded by cameras, is used by the White House staff and people with preapproved appointments while others have to go through security screenings and vetting from the Secret Service to enter.
“I know of no reason why this entrance — including the precise location where the cocaine is said to have been discovered — would be any different,” Lee said.
He added that everyone entering this part of the White House has to empty their pockets, “and the Secret Service would immediately notice and stop anyone walking in with even a small bag of white powder.”
The Secret Service discovered the white powder substance in the West Wing of the White House on Sunday, leading to a brief shutdown.
“We have a yellow bar saying cocaine hydrochloride,” the White House said in a radio dispatch to the Washington, D.C., fire department. Preliminary testing confirmed the substance was cocaine.
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The Oval Office and the Situation Room are situated in the West Wing, as are the offices of hundreds of staffers working for the president and the vice president.
At the time of the discovery, President Joe Biden was not in the White House but at Camp David.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during a press briefing Wednesday reaffirmed that the substance was discovered in “a heavily traveled area,” adding that she didn’t have any other specifics to share.
“It is under investigation by the Secret Service,” she said. “And we have confidence that the Secret Service will get to the bottom of this.”
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., wrote a letter to the director of the Secret Service, saying that the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the issue and requesting a briefing by July 14.
“This alarming development requires the Committee to assess White House security practices and determine whose failures led to an evacuation of the building and finding of the illegal substance,” Comer wrote, adding that the committee requests “additional information.”
“The presence of illegal drugs in the White House is unacceptable and a shameful moment in the White House’s history,” the letter said.
“This incident has raised additional concerns with the Committee regarding the level of security maintained at the White House.”
🚨The presence of illegal drugs in the White House is unacceptable and a shameful moment in the White House’s history.
Congress funds White House security procedures & @GOPoversight has oversight jurisdiction over Secret Service operations.
I’m requesting a briefing.👇 pic.twitter.com/5ORRhE7bey— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) July 7, 2023
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., also wrote to the director of the Secret Service, asking for a briefing.
“I urge you to release that information quickly, as the American people deserve to know whether illicit drugs were found in an area where confidential information is exchanged,” he said. Cotton listed a series of questions related to security screenings and access.
According to Politico, Secret Service spokesperson special agent Steve Kopek said that the agency has received the congressional inquiries.
“Since this is an open and active investigation, we are communicating with the committees and working through appropriate channels to identify what may be responsive to the requests,” Kopek said.
A source connected to the White House said the media attention on the subject is “political fodder right now.”
“Any time the opposition has a way to lean in and provide some type of antidote or response that’s going to get people wired up — they’re going to do so,” the source told The Hill.
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