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An investigation into who left a plastic bag of cocaine in the West Wing has turned the White House into a crime scene.
Possession of cocaine, which is classified as a “schedule II” drug under the U.S. Controlled Substance Act, is a misdemeanor in Washington, D.C., according to Reuters. It is punishable by up to 180 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both.
There are many reasons, in my opinion, the current White House should be considered a crime scene.
Be informed, not misled.
Reuters reports, "Cocaine discovered in the White House on Sunday was found in a cubby hole in a West Wing entry area where visitors place electronics and other belongings before going on tours, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday."
Reuters says, "The Secret Service is investigating the matter, the White House said. They're checking visitor logs and ... looking at cameras. Those are the next steps. Cross-checking," said the source.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters: "Where this was discovered is a heavily traveled area where many ... West Wing visitors come through."
Would anyone associated with the Biden family be connected to bringing cocaine into the White House?
The press notes, "The West Wing is attached to the executive mansion where President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden live. It includes the Oval Office, cabinet room, and workspace for presidential staff. Hundreds of people pass through the area, the press underscores.
The Secret Service is leading the investigation into how it got into the White House, reportedly reviewing tapes and entrance logs. The FBI is also now involved, according to Politico.
The bag containing the cocaine remains in a federal laboratory, where it will be tested for DNA and fingerprints, according to NBC News. The substance will undergo a “full chemical analysis,” the outlet reported. The investigation could reportedly take about two weeks.
I suspect that will be enough time to cause drug testing to be irrelevant.
Law enforcement officials confirmed on Wednesday that cocaine was found at the White House over the weekend.
But one official familiar with the investigation cautioned that the source of the drug was unlikely to be determined given that it was discovered in a highly trafficked area of the West Wing.
"Investagate!" The ongoing saga of DC
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday said President Biden thinks it is “incredibly important” to get to the bottom of it but declined to say whether the White House supported the prosecution of the individual whose cocaine it was.
The scandal began on Sunday evening when the White House was evacuated, and D.C. Fire Department crews responded to the scene.
At first, the Secret Service called it an “unknown item” found on the “White House complex” during a routine patrol.
The Washington Post then reported Monday it was a “white powder” that “indicated positive for cocaine.” The Secret Service said it was undergoing additional testing.
The New York Times reported Tuesday the substance was found in a “work area of the West Wing,” not in the library.
NBC News reported Wednesday that the additional testing confirmed the substance was cocaine, and that it was found in a “small, zippered bag in a highly trafficked part of the West Wing.”
Reuters reported Wednesday that the cocaine was found in a cubbyhole in a West Wing entry area where visitors place electronics before “going on tours.”
Officials have not revealed how much of it was discovered, only describing it as a small amount.
White House officials have sought to put distance between the discovery and President Biden and his family, telling reporters that they left for Camp David in Maryland on Thursday and arrived back on Tuesday.
Jean-Pierre said there were West Wing tours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It is not yet clear how long the cocaine was in the White House.
However, the universe of visitors would still be contained to administration officials and their guests.
Reuters acknowledged, “Administration officials are able to offer tours of parts of the West Wing to friends and family members.”
NPR also reported that the tours are “staff-led”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) sent a letter to the Secret Service asking for information on how they screen visitors to the White House on Wednesday.
Congress and the American people deserve to know how cocaine got into the White House. pic.twitter.com/Fps9AJ6hSQ
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) July 5, 2023
“Congress and the American people deserve to know how cocaine got into the White House,” he tweeted.
American Family News weighed in on the matter:
After cocaine was found in the most closely-guarded and secure building in the world, a conservative activist says the Biden family has only itself to blame after the public suspects Hunter Biden is the mGary Bauer, a veteran of D.C. politics who leads Campaign for Working Families, says there is a reason the discovery raised eyebrows.
"Of course, we all know from the Hunter laptop that the first family son has wrestled with an addiction to cocaine,” he says. “And certainly that came to mind for many people when this story broke."
It didn’t help Hunter Biden’s case after video footage showed him standing on a White House balcony with family to watch an Independence Day fireworks show. Hunter is seen sweating and acting nervous (pictured at right) then, moments later, he disappears from the cameras behind an unhappy-looking Jill Biden. What appeared to be an innocent two-handed sweep of his hair, skeptics say, was Hunter doing a quick “bump” of cocaine right in front of his family.
The theory the cocaine belonged to Hunter Biden is unlikely, Fox News analyst Kayleigh McEnany told fellow panelists, because he left the White House grounds lasts Friday. It is "inconceivable" it went undiscovered until Sunday, she said.
Meanwhile, not only should the public question the security of the White House if the owner is never found, Bauer says, but he wonders how the media would react if cocaine was found there during the Trump administration.
Then he answers his own question.
“The outcries would be overwhelming. The chest-thumping, the exploding heads would be everywhere,” he says. “Reporters would be pounding on the table.”
In the meantime, we'll just keep "investigating."
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Engaged. Be Prayerful.