The top House investigator is demanding a briefing from the Secret Service on how cocaine ended up in a key area of the West Wing, saying Congress deserves to know whether security lapses led to the “shameful” episode at the White House.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, Kentucky Republican, told Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle that her team should brief his panel no later than July 14.
“The presence of illegal drugs in the White House is unacceptable and a shameful moment in the White House’s history,” Mr. Comer said.
The White House was briefly evacuated last Sunday after agents found a white powder during a sweep of the building. Lab tests confirmed the substance was cocaine, sparking Washington intrigue over who left an illicit drug in a wing that includes the Oval Office and work spaces for key White House aides.
The White House said the drug was found in a “heavily traveled” area, with some reports pointing to a storage space that is used to keep cellphones for staff and guests — an area accessible to staff-led tour groups.
Initial media reports suggested that meant the location was near the formal entrance of the West Wing lobby. But an NBC News report said the area was near the West Executive entrance, which is a floor lower and where vehicles for visiting VIPs, including the vice president’s limousine or SUV, can park.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said there is no “ongoing national security threat” from the cocaine incident and rejected reports that linked the drug episode and the Situation Room, a highly secure conference room in the West Wing that is used to deal with crises.
He said the Situation Room is under construction, so the only people traversing to the room are workers trying to finish the renovations. For now, the administration is using an alternate Situation Room across the street.
Mr. Sullivan said he will leave it to the Secret Service to figure out who brought cocaine to the White House.
Former President Donald Trump and conservative pundits pointed the finger at the president’s son Hunter Biden, who struggled with drug abuse in the past, although the president’s family was away from Washington when the drug was found.
“This incident has raised additional concerns with the committee regarding the level of security maintained at the White House,” Mr. Comer said.
The White House and Secret Service haven’t said much during the pending investigation, including whether security camera footage or visitor logs will help them catch the drug carrier.
Mr. Comer says his request for a briefing is justified because Congress funds White House security and his committee has broad authority to investigate any matter at any time.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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