In a classified briefing, the Secret Service revealed to members of Congress that marijuana had been found in the White House on two separate occasions in 2022, prior to the recent discovery of cocaine in the West Wing. Although possessing less than two ounces of marijuana is not a crime in Washington, D.C., it is still prohibited on federal property, including the White House.
According to a spokesperson for the Secret Service, “small amounts of marijuana” were found in July and September of last year. However, no arrests were made due to the quantity of marijuana confiscated, which did not meet the legal threshold for federal charges or D.C. misdemeanor criminal charges.
The marijuana was collected by officers and subsequently destroyed. The spokesperson emphasized that these incidents occurred under President Biden’s watch and highlighted the decriminalization of marijuana possession in Washington, D.C.
“Do you know how cocaine got into the White House?”
Biden: *Smiles*
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 5, 2023
Representative Lauren Boebert, a Republican from Colorado, expressed concerns about the security measures at the White House during the classified briefing. She questioned the lack of video surveillance in the area where cocaine was found and pointed out that marijuana had been discovered twice on the White House property. Boebert raised the issue of whether the Biden administration was taking appropriate steps to ensure security at the White House.
Headed to get answers from the Secret Service about the bag of cocaine found at the White House near the Oval Office.
It’s outrageous with the surveillance at the White House that this administration still hasn’t disclosed the identity of the cocaine culprit.
More soon! pic.twitter.com/3PM5nb0DJj
— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) July 13, 2023
Boebert also voiced her dissatisfaction with the Secret Service’s response regarding the missing key to the locker where the cocaine was found.
She revealed that there are 182 lockers in the foyer, and the key to locker number 50 is currently missing. Despite more than 500 individuals entering the West Wing during the weekend when the substance was discovered, the Secret Service does not consider any of them as suspects. Boebert criticized the agency for quickly closing the investigation and moving on to other matters.
During the briefing, Boebert learned that there are no logs or video surveillance of the lockers in question. She called for drug testing of every staffer who entered the White House during that weekend, suggesting that it would be a necessary step to ensure accountability.
In the first days of his Presidency, Joe Biden fired dozens of White House staffers due to their “past marijuana use…”
Now, Biden and his MSM stenographers are making light of cocaine usage in the The White House itself!
pic.twitter.com/oqCEmJpGkd— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) July 6, 2023
In response to Boebert’s concerns, Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, defended the Secret Service, arguing that subjecting hundreds of individuals to drug testing would violate their civil liberties. He likened the situation to finding small amounts of drugs in the Capitol Complex, stating that it would not warrant testing everyone who works there.
