Secret Service investigation closed, with no conclusion: The Secret Service has not been able to determine who brought cocaine into the White House.
No One In Trouble for White House Cocaine?
Over the July 4 weekend, a small amount of cocaine was found in the White House, and not long after that, sources were stating that it was unlikely that it would ever be determined who actually was responsible for leaving the drugs there.
Now, it turns out the investigation has been closed, without any determination of where the drugs came from.
The Secret Service released an official statement Thursday, which confirmed that the substance was really cocaine and that they are not able to determine who was responsible.
“While awaiting the FBl’s results, the Secret Service investigation into how this item entered the White House continued. The investigation included a methodical review of security systems and protocols,” the Secret Service statement said. “This review included a backwards examination that spanned several days prior to the discovery of the substance and developed an index of several hundred individuals who may have accessed the area where the substance was found. The focal point of these actions developed a pool of known persons for comparison of forensic evidence gleaned from the FBI’s analysis of the substance’s packaging.”
However, the FBI lab results “did not develop latent fingerprints and insufficient DNA was present for investigative comparisons. Therefore, the Secret Service is not able to compare evidence against the known pool of individuals.”
“There was no surveillance video footage found that provided investigative leads or any other means for investigators to identify who may have deposited the found substance in this area. Without physical evidence, the investigation will not be able to single out a person of interest from the hundreds of individuals who passed through the vestibule where the cocaine was discovered. At this time, the Secret Service’s investigation is closed due to a lack of physical evidence.”
Blame Hunter Biden?
Throughout the saga, of course, various opponents of the president have sought to accuse Hunter Biden, the president’s son who has a history of drug addiction, of being responsible. And while there was never more than circumstantial evidence of that, it didn’t stop former President Donald Trump from drawing conclusions, in accusing not only Hunter, but also the president, and Special Counsel Jack Smith, of using cocaine.
“Does anybody really believe that the COCAINE found in the West Wing of the White House, very close to the Oval Office, is for the use of anyone other than Hunter & Joe Biden,” Trump posted to Truth Social on July 6. “But watch, the Fake News Media will soon start saying that the amount found was “very small,” & it wasn’t really COCAINE, but rather common ground up Aspirin, & the story will vanish. Has Deranged Jack Smith, the crazy, Trump hating Special Prosecutor, been seen in the area of the COCAINE? He looks like a crackhead to me!”
The news of the investigation’s closure has had different reactions, largely along party lines. For instance, it’s clear that it’s the unanimous conclusion of Republicans and conservatives that the drugs belonged to Hunter Biden; case closed.
“The Secret Service has narrowed down 500 people as the potential source of cocaine in the White House,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said on Twitter this week. “But they are ending the investigation tomorrow without administering drug tests to these individuals. A total failure. The American people deserve to know who smuggled illegal narcotics into the White House.”
And while Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) may be Greene’s confirmed enemy, she has similar questions.
“Headed to get answers from the Secret Service about the bag of cocaine found at the White House near the Oval Office,” Boebert said on social media. “It’s outrageous with the surveillance at the White House that this administration still hasn’t disclosed the identity of the cocaine culprit.”
Meanwhile, Jesse Watters, soon to take over the 9 p.m. time slot on Fox News, announced that he was filing a FOIA request for the White House surveillance tapes for the area where the drugs were found.
Expertise and Experience
Stephen Silver is a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive. He is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.
From 19FortyFive
Could Joe Biden Get Impeached?
Something Is Wrong With Kamala Harris
‘Breathing Fire’: Donald Trump Goes Crazy On Fox News Interview
