WASHINGTON — Secret Service representatives will meet with the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee in response to a request for a briefing on a bag of cocaine found in the White House, according to Anthony Guglielmi, chief Secret Service communications.
The meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m. ET, according to two sources familiar with the requested meeting.
The chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., sent a letter on July 7 to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, requesting a staff-level briefing on the investigation by July 14.
“This alarming development requires the Committee to evaluate the White House’s security practices and determine what failures led to the evacuation of the building and the discovery of the illegal substance,” the letter said.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., also sent a letter to Cheatle requesting a response to a list of questions about White House security practices.
The cocaine was found on July 2 in a cubicle near the busy West Executive Entrance of the White House, according to officials involved in the investigation. A formal laboratory test came back positive for cocaine on July 5.
When asked about the cocaine, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previously stressed that the investigation is under the control of the Secret Service and said she is “confident” they will get to the bottom of the incident.
It’s unclear how long the bag was in the White House before it was discovered, and authorities have little hope of finding the identity of the person who brought the cocaine.
The cocaine package is still in a federal lab for analysis, according to the sources.
