On Sunday, July 2nd, the Fourth of Independence weekend, a baggie of “white powder” found in the West Wing of the White House caused a hazmat reaction to determine what it was. After the White House changed its story about what happened, the Secret Service closed the investigation without ever investigating the matter for two weeks.
The Secret Service’s response to the issue was, at best, weak and raised many questions. They tested the substance and created a list with “several hundreds” of people who passed through the area. However, they claimed they could not find any forensic proof on the bag. The police didn’t bother to even question anyone on the list. Members of Congress, such as Rep. Lauren Boebert(R-CO), said that they were told the list contained about 500 names.
Since the Secret Service had closed the investigation, The Heritage Foundation Oversight Project attempted to obtain the list of “suspects”, under FOIA. The Secret Service, however, refused to provide the list with an interesting explanation.
Kevin Tyrrell wrote to The Daily Signal in a Freedom of Information Act letter that the records you requested did not belong to the Secret Service and were therefore not subjected to the FOIA. These records are instead governed by the Presidential Records Act and remain in the exclusive custody and control of the White House.
Steve Bradbury, a distinguished fellow at Heritage Foundation, who led the Office of Legal Counsel within the Justice Department between 2005 and 2009, clarified the difference between a Secret Service record and a record that would fall under Presidential Records Act. It depends on the person who created the record and the business that the record represents. It’s a FOIA request if it’s a record of an agency. “If it’s White House records, they’re covered by the Presidential Records Act,” said he.
Does anyone believe that they didn’t create a list? What does it say about the Secret Service’s investigation if they didn’t create their own list of suspects and/or don’t want it to be turned over?
Hans von Spakovsky explains what visitors should do to enter the White House.
Von Spakovsky explained that when you pass through security checkpoints, they do not just check for weapons. “You must go through an area in which they blow air and have dogs sniffing you to detect any illegal substances, bombs, or anything else,” von Spakovsky said.
“And yet, they missed someone who brought cocaine into the White House?” Von Spakovsky continued, “That is hard to justify.”
Former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino has written about his disbelief that the police can’t even find the person. Given the level of security, he believes it is the family who are behind the cocaine. Bongino revealed some interesting information he was told. He said that the cocaine could have been left on purpose to be picked up.
It’s not just him who thinks there’s something wrong.
Charles Marino, a former supervisory special agent who served with the Secret Service over 20 years ago, also questions what is going on. He said that the 500 people on the list are all suspects and shouldn’t have been allowed back into the country if they weren’t being interviewed by the Secret Service.
It could have been an employee or a member of the family. When you don’t identify a suspect, does that mean that the 500-600 individuals who appeared during this period are all suspects?
How are you not asking people questions if this is the case? I want the investigation to be conducted the way it should be.
Marino also wants a public report detailing the chain of custody, the location where the cocaine was tested, the results, and the assurance that the video footage had been thoroughly reviewed.
He asked, “Was the test done at the FBI lab at Quantico or at another FBI facility?” I want to know the tests done on it. All of this should have paper trails.
Marino said that there were no “forcing mechanisms” which could provide the Secret Service with any information on where cocaine had been found.
What choice do you have, I ask? Someone is stopping the investigation from being thorough.”
Marino stated that their handling of things gave the impression they were using political influence.
“Political Influence is only as powerful as the leader who allows it to be.” You can get on a dark path if you have a politician who is willing to be influenced.
Exactly. This investigation should have been completed and basic tasks like interviewing individuals done. Even Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s top man Andrew Weissmann called this “suspicious” as I pointed out.
Even Andrew Weissmann thinks the Secret Service investigation into the cocaine at The White House was a joke: “To me, the Secret Service here looks like they can’t find a dead cow in a closet. I mean this is really just not a sufficient investigation…” pic.twitter.com/9rwsjzS2Nq
— Kevin Tober (@KevinTober94) July 14, 2023
They’re refusing even to give you the list — probably because there are some names that you will recognize and find alarming. This further reinforces the feeling that there is a cover-up going on.
