U.S. House Oversight Panel Head Requests Briefing on Cocaine Found in White House – Letter

WASHINGTON – Letter sent out requests a staff-level briefing on the situation by July 14.

Following the discovery of cocaine at the White House earlier this week, US House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer on Friday wrote to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to request an update on the drug situation there.

“The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating details surrounding the discovery of cocaine

 in the White House. This alarming development requires the Committee to assess White House security practices and determine whose failures led to an evacuation of the building and finding of the illegal substance,” the letter said.

US Senator Tom Cotton also wrote to Cheatle earlier this week asking him to publicly disclose whether the cocaine was discovered in a location where sensitive information is exchanged.

The incident, according to Comer’s letter to the House Oversight Committee, “raises additional concerns” about the level of security maintained at the White House. The letter quoted a senior law enforcement official as saying that the cocaine was discovered in a storage space that is regularly used by staff and visitors to store cell phones.

“The presence of illegal drugs in the White House is unacceptable and a shameful moment in the White House’s history,” Comer said in a statement via Twitter.

Congress funds White House security procedures and the House Oversight Committee maintains jurisdiction over Secret Service operations, Comer added.