The Secret Service addressed the controversy surrounding the disposal of cocaine discovered at the White House in 2023.
The statement came in response to a RealClearPolitics report detailing alleged internal disputes over the handling of the narcotics found just days after a Biden family gathering. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi clarified that the cocaine was disposed of in line with existing retention policies, though he did not specify which policies.
Was ousted Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle behind the rush to destroy the cocaine discovered at the White House? https://t.co/h3AUu74WwL pic.twitter.com/UMyKtoTvig
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) August 5, 2024
“This is false,” Guglielmi said in a statement. “The US Secret Service takes its investigative and protective responsibilities very seriously. There are retention policies for criminal investigations, and the Secret Service adhered to those requirements during this case.”
The report alleges that former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle faced opposition from within the agency when she purportedly sought to destroy the cocaine. Cheatle was reportedly frustrated when her subordinates, citing a seven-year evidence retention protocol, rejected her request, RealClearPolitics stated.
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 22: United States Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee during a hearing at the Rayburn House Office Building on July 22, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
The report also mentioned that DNA recovered from the cocaine resulted in a “partial hit” in a national database, yet the Secret Service concluded its investigation abruptly just 11 days after the discovery without interviewing potential suspects. (RELATED: FRANK RICCI: Secret Service’s Leadership Structure Is Out Of Whack. It’s Time To Fix It.)
This rapid closure and the failure to follow up on the DNA findings have fueled perceptions of a lack of thoroughness in the investigation. Adding to the controversy, Cheatle, who reportedly secured her position with the support of First Lady Jill Biden and her aide Anthony Bernal, resigned shortly after an unrelated security breach. The Secret Service’s statement did not address specifics about whether there was any follow-up on the partial DNA match or the exact timing and method of the cocaine’s destruction.
