Secret Service finds no fingerprints, DNA on cocaine found at White House

cocaine at white house

The fire department was called in to test the substance on the spot to determine whether it was hazardous, and the initial test came back negative for a biohazard but positive for cocaine. White House staffers frequently give guests tours of the West Wing, often at night and over the weekend. Guests must pass through security before entering the White House complex and then are asked to leave phones in small cubbies. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described the location as “highly traveled,” saying, “West Wing visitors come through this particular area.” She said staff-led tours were held Friday, Saturday and Sunday before the drug was found.

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Bobby Darrell Lowery– Jackson, MississippiBobby Darrell Lowery is a 50-year-old man who was convicted of a non-violent drug offense at the age of 25. He served his sentence and successfully completed the terms of his probation. Since his release, Mr. Lowery has maintained steady employment and actively volunteers at his church and at various community-based organizations. Friends and colleagues praise his work ethic, dedication to his family, and strong moral character.Jesse Mosley– Ponchatoula, LouisianaJesse Mosley is a 42-year-old man who pleaded guilty to non-violent drug offenses at the age of 19.

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For instance, the below-displayed post claimed the cocaine was found in an area often occupied by U.S. President Joe Biden, while other posts asserted that the drug was left behind by his son, Hunter Biden. The lobby is open to staff-led tours of the West Wing, which are scheduled for nonworking hours on the weekends and evenings. Those tours are invitation-only and led by White House staff for friends, family and other guests. Most staffers who work in the complex can request an evening or weekend tour slot, but there is often a long wait list.

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As the investigation continued, many posts claimed without evidence that the cocaine belonged to Hunter Biden, who previously discussed being addicted to crack cocaine in a 2021 memoir. We found social media posts that claimed the cocaine was found in various places around the White House, such as the above-displayed Facebook post that claimed it was found in an area where President Biden often worked. The cocaine and packaging underwent further forensics testing, including advanced fingerprint and DNA work at the FBI’s crime laboratory, according to the summary.

The Secret Service would not say where exactly the substance was found in the lobby or whether the agency was working with the White House to review guest logs. People familiar with the investigation say that the area is frequented so often by so many groups of people that it may be hard to find the person who left the baggie. The Secret Service is looking to find out who brought a baggie of cocaine that was discovered on Sunday evening into a guest lobby of the West Wing of the White House, an agency spokesman said on Wednesday. Still, its discovery set off rounds of questions for the White House, including about its security protocols and who had access to the area where the substance was found.

The small plastic envelope was found in an area of the West Wing that visitors and staff members often pass through during the day. When staff members want to bring relatives or friends on tours of the West Wing, they usually do so at night and on the weekends. Testing conducted by the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department indicated that the found powder tested preliminarily positive for the presence of cocaine. Department of Homeland Security's National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, which analyzed the item for any biothreats. Tests conducted at this facility came back negative and gave formal confirmation that the substance was not biological in nature.

cocaine at white house

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After 11 days, the Secret Service wrapped up its investigation without naming a suspect and claimed that surveillance footage did not reveal the identity of the culprit. The substance was discovered in a work area in the west wing by members of the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service conducting routine rounds through the building, the secret service told Forbes. More testing was done to review the chemical composition of the powder, the statement continued.

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Secret Service closes White House cocaine investigation citing lack of evidence - PBS NewsHour

Secret Service closes White House cocaine investigation citing lack of evidence.

Posted: Thu, 13 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

The Secret Service investigation has concluded with no usable forensic or video evidence identifying the person responsible, three Secret Service officials familiar with the investigation said. A baggie that was confirmed to contain cocaine was found in the guest lobby of the West Wing on Sunday evening, an agency spokesman said. The cocaine, contained in a small Ziploc bag, was found in a cubby used by visitors to store cellphones and other personal items before entering the West Wing. The Secret Service described the location of the substance as "inside a vestibule leading to the lobby area of the West Executive Avenue entrance to the White House." The substance had tested positive for cocaine on a preliminary field test, the official familiar with the investigation said Tuesday, and the formal lab test confirmed that result. He and his family were at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, not the White House, when the cocaine was discovered.

The probe could take about two weeks, and officials caution that there may not be a resolution if no forensic material is found to identify someone. The blurry timeline and the number of people who walk through the area where the cocaine was found could make it difficult to determine who was responsible, an official familiar with the investigation said. WASHINGTON — A formal lab test of the white substance found at the White House on Sunday has come back positive for cocaine, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Wednesday. Colin Jost had his work cut out for him at the 2024 White House Correspondents' dinner. The Saturday Night Live writer and Weekend Update cohost delivered the gala's keynote roast Saturday, tackling many topics, from the state of print media and Donald Trump's multiple trials to the upcoming election and our current president doing cocaine. But the jovial mood inside the room contrasted sharply with raucous demonstrations outside the Washington Hilton hotel.

cocaine at white house

Chuck Rosenberg, a former U.S. attorney and acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration under then-President Barack Obama, said law enforcement agencies need to consider their resources when making decisions about who and what to investigate. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., sent a letter Wednesday asking Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle for more information about the investigation. Secret Service officials say they have received the letter and will respond.

The claim that the cocaine was found in the White House library was bolstered by initial reports stating the substance was found in a library, citing a dispatch call to D.C. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told The New York Times that the dispatch call was incorrect. Video of the West Executive street lobby entrance did not identify the person or provide any solid investigative leads, the Secret Service said. But the lab results didn’t turn up latent fingerprints or DNA, so agents can’t compare anything to the possible suspect pool.

Oversight Committee chairman James Comer said last week his panel will assess the White House's security practices, and the Secret Service on Thursday provided a closed-door briefing for the committee. Luckily, the president was able to put it to good use for his State of the Union,” Jost said, a reference to the outlandish claims on the right about Biden’s energy. “The only people who are going to benefit are big law firms in Washington, DC, because they are going to go after every single president. They will start with Obama, Fast and Furious, right, where he gives 2,000 weapons to cartel members,” Eric Trump mused.

The vestibule is near the Situation Room, which is out of service for renovations; an alternative secure meeting room is being used for classified briefings during construction. On July 12, the Secret Service received the FBI’s laboratory results, which did not develop latent fingerprints and insufficient DNA was present for investigative comparisons. Therefore, the Secret Service is not able to compare evidence against the known pool of individuals. While awaiting the FBl's results, the Secret Service investigation into how this item entered the White House continued. The investigation included a methodical review of security systems and protocols. This review included a backwards examination that spanned several days prior to the discovery of the substance and developed an index of several hundred individuals who may have accessed the area where the substance was found.

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