A Republican senator is calling for answers after cocaine was found in the White House.
In a letter to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on Wednesday, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) noted cocaine was found in the West Wing of the White House, but it has not been confirmed exactly where in the West Wing the drug was found.
“I urge you to release that information quickly, as the American people deserve to know whether illicit drugs were found in an area where confidential information is exchanged,” he wrote.
He added, “If the White House complex is not secure, Congress needs to know the details, as well as your plan to correct any security flaws.”
Check out the letter below:
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
The senator asked for a list of individuals who have access to the White House complex without “passing through any security screening,” as well as those who are “subject to lesser security requirements” than others.
Cotton also asked for information on how many people who visit the interior of the White House are screened by the Secret Service’s K-9 program.
Additionally, he asked how many times the Secret Service has “encountered” illegal drugs at the White House over the past five years, and how many times they were detected during security screenings.
Finally, Cotton asked if the Secret Service will make an arrest if it determines who brought cocaine into the building.
The letter comes as the Secret Service confirmed the cocaine was found in the West Wing of the White House.
ABC News notes, “The cocaine was found on the ground floor of the White House, near the West Executive entrance where visitors are instructed to typically drop off their cell phones when visiting the White House, according to a source familiar with the matter.”
“Some visitors are able to tour parts of the West Wing, and tours typically take place on the weekends,” it added.
However, the Secret Service declined to share if there were tours over the weekend. A spokesperson told ABC News, “These are details that are pertinent to our investigation and not something we can get into.”
A law enforcement official told Politico it was unlikely the individual who brought the cocaine into the White House will be discovered as it was found in a highly trafficked area.
President Joe Biden and his family were at Camp David when the cocaine was found.
