Republican lawmakers are raising questions about media reports that say the person who left a bag of cocaine in the White House might never be found.
‘I’ve been in and out of that entrance a million times. It’s one of the most heavily secured and constantly surveilled places on earth. They keep detailed records on who enters and exits and when. I find it difficult to accept that they can’t figure out who put the cocaine there,’ Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said on Thursday night.
The comments come after multiple reports citing unnamed sources close to the U.S. Secret Service probe of the incident suggested the suspect’s identity might not be determined over the course of the investigation.
‘How can the [White House] say the cocaine culprit will likely never be Identified? They have video and visitor logs as well as facial recognition,’ said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., similarly questioned, ‘How can law enforcement officials say it is ‘unlikely’ they’ll be able to track down the culprit who brought cocaine into the White House?’
There have been conflicting reports about where the cocaine was found. When the news first broke, it was alleged that the substance had been found in the White House library. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday that it had been in a ‘heavily traveled’ part of the West Wing. Multiple outlets reported on Thursday that it had been found near the West Executive entrance, a more secure location than previously thought.
The Secret Service is currently investigating the incident, which the White House said occurred while President Biden and his family were away at Camp David.
Some of Biden’s Republican critics suggested they believed the administration was not interested in finding the person’s real identity.
‘White House cocaine culprit unlikely to be found, as long as White House officials don’t want them found,’ said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., suggested going a step further and forcing top officials to submit to drug tests.
‘So let me get this straight, the White House is refusing to say whether the cocaine culprit will be arrested? Well, I think we should drug test EVERYONE, including Joe Biden, until we know who smuggled illegal drugs into the White House,’ she said.