By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington: A US Congressional panel Thursday began a probe into how a celebrity couple gatecrashed into President Barack Obama’s state dinner for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, noting there were “undeniable planning and execution failures” by the Secret Service apparatus.
The probe began with the key players absent.
As the House Homeland Security Committee began the hearing, its Democratic chairman Bennie Thompson said the lawmakers need to talk not only to the alleged gatecrashers Tareq and Michaele Salahi, but also to White House social secretary Desiree Rogers.
All three have declined to appear.
“This hearing is not about crashing a party at the White House. Nor is it about wannabe celebrities,” he said. The hearing was all about protecting the president, Thomson said, noting the country is fortunate it didn’t turn into “a night of horror.”
Thompson said Wednesday night that if the Salahis didn’t show up, the panel was prepared to move forward with subpoenas “to compel their appearance”.
“We’re not concerned about agency embarrassment,” he said. “The security gaps at issue cannot be explained away as missteps by a few frontline employees. There were undeniable planning and execution failures of the entire Secret Service apparatus,” Thompson said.
“We’re all fortunate that this diplomatic celebration did not become a night of horror. … We must dissect every fact … and after we do these things, we need to give thanks that no lives were lost,” he said.
“The Salahis’ testimony is important to explain how a couple circumvented layers of security at the White House on the evening of a State Dinner without causing alarm,” Thompson said in a statement.
Only Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan has agreed to testify Thursday.
In the case of Rogers, the White House has claimed executive privilege.
“I think, you know, that, based on separation of powers, staff here don’t go to testify in front of Congress. She won’t. … She will not be testifying in front of Congress,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Wednesday.
An aide for Thompson said Thursday that no decisions have been made on whether to subpoena Rogers, according to CBS News. But the panel’s top Republican Peter King said Rogers’ testimony is more important than the Salahis’.
“The White House should not be allowed to stonewall by refusing the committee’s request that Ms. Rogers testify,” he said in a statement. “What is the White House trying to hide?”