An investigation into who left a plastic bag of cocaine in the West Wing has turned the White House into a crime scene.
Possession of cocaine, which is classified as a “schedule II” drug under the U.S. Controlled Substance Act, is a misdemeanor in Washington, D.C., according to Reuters. It is punishable by up to 180 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both.
The Secret Service is leading the investigation into how it got into the White House, reportedly reviewing tapes and entrance logs. The FBI is also now involved, according to Politico.
The bag containing the cocaine remains in a federal laboratory, where it will be tested for DNA and fingerprints, according to NBC News. The substance will undergo a “full chemical analysis,” the outlet reported. The investigation could reportedly take about two weeks.
However, anonymous officials are already telling the media that the culprit may not be found.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday said President Biden thinks it is “incredibly important” to get to the bottom of it, but declined to say whether the White House supported prosecution of the individual whose cocaine it was.
The scandal began on Sunday evening, when the White House was evacuated and D.C. Fire Department crews responded to the scene.
Independent journalist Andrew Leyden on Sunday evening first took video and photos of a D.C. Fire Department hazmat truck, a special operations unit, and and an ambulance arriving at the White House around 7:45 p.m. Eastern.
HAZMAT crews behind the gates on West Executive outside the entrance to the West Wing. pic.twitter.com/rqDRCjZVvi
— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) July 3, 2023
A website that archives fire department and police dispatches captured the crews’ radio dispatches. “We have a yellow bar, stating cocaine hydrochloride,” one of the responders on the scene radioed back, according to a dispatch at 8:49 Eastern.
Another dispatch said the substance was found in the “library.”
However, since then, details surrounding the discovery of the cocaine have evolved.
At first, the Secret Service called it an “unknown item” found on the “White House complex” during a routine patrol.
The Washington Post then reported Monday it was a “white powder” that “indicated positive for cocaine.” The Secret Service said it was undergoing additional testing.
The New York Times reported Tuesday the substance was found in a “work area of the West Wing,” not in the library.
NBC News reported Wednesday that the additional testing confirmed the substance was cocaine, and that it was found in a “small, zippered bag in a highly trafficked part of the West Wing.”
Reuters reported Wednesday that the cocaine was found in a cubbyhole in a West Wing entry area where visitors place electronics before “going on tours.”
Officials have not revealed how much of it was discovered, only describing it as a small amount.
White House officials have sought to put distance between the discovery and President Biden and his family, telling reporters that they left on Thursday for Camp David in Maryland and arrived back on Tuesday.
Jean-Pierre said there were West Wing tours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It is not yet clear how long the cocaine was in the White House.
She told reporters: “Where this was discovered is a heavily traveled area where many … West Wing visitors come through.”
However, the universe of visitors would still be contained to administration officials and their guests.
Reuters acknowledged, “Administration officials are able to offer tours of parts of the West Wing to friends and family members.”
NPR also reported that the tours are “staff-led”:
The lobby where the drugs were found is where many official visitors and staffers enter. It is also open to staff-led tours of the West Wing, which are scheduled for nonworking hours on the weekends and evenings. Those tours are invitation-only and led by White House staff for friends, family and other guests. Most staffers who work on the complex can request an evening or weekend tour slot, but there is often a long wait list.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) on Wednesday sent a letter to the Secret Service asking for information on how they screen visitors to the White House.
“Congress and the American people deserve to know how cocaine got into the White House,” he tweeted.
Congress and the American people deserve to know how cocaine got into the White House. pic.twitter.com/Fps9AJ6hSQ
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) July 5, 2023
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