During a classified briefing on the investigation into the recent cocaine discovery in the West Wing, the Secret Service revealed that they had found marijuana in the White House on two separate occasions in 2022. This information was confirmed by the Secret Service to Fox News Digital.
While possessing less than two ounces of marijuana is not a crime in Washington, D.C., it is still prohibited on federal property, including the White House. The Secret Service spokesperson stated that "small amounts of marijuana" were found in July and September of the previous year. However, no arrests were made because the quantity of marijuana confiscated did not meet the legal threshold for federal charges or D.C. misdemeanor charges, given the decriminalization of possession in the District of Columbia. The marijuana was collected by officers and subsequently destroyed.
The Secret Service spokesperson further mentioned that in both instances, less than 0.2 ounces of marijuana were discovered, acknowledging D.C.'s marijuana decriminalization laws.
Fox News Digital sought additional clarification from the Secret Service, including whether U.S. law prohibits illicit substances on federal property, but received no immediate response.
Following the classified briefing, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., expressed concerns about the lack of video surveillance in the area where cocaine was found over the Fourth of July weekend. Boebert highlighted that marijuana had been found twice on the White House property in 2022, stating that security measures should have been implemented earlier, especially since drugs had been discovered during Biden's presidency. The specific location of the marijuana on the White House grounds was not disclosed.
Boebert also compared the current situation to the absence of similar scandals during President Trump's term and questioned the individuals being brought into the White House by President Biden.
During the briefing, Boebert inquired about security measures for the lockers where the cocaine was found and learned that the key to the specific locker was missing. She mentioned that there were 182 lockers in the foyer, and the key to locker number 50, where the cocaine was discovered, had not been located. Boebert also expressed concern that over 500 people had entered the West Wing during the weekend when the cocaine was found, yet none of them were considered suspects. The investigation did not delve further into the background of these individuals, and Boebert criticized the desire to swiftly close the investigation without thorough scrutiny.
Boebert also revealed that there were no logs or video surveillance of the lockers, and the only action taken by the Secret Service was to conduct background searches for past drug use or convictions among the individuals who entered the West Wing that weekend. She suggested that all staff members who were present during that time should undergo drug testing.
In response to these concerns, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., defended the Secret Service, stating that subjecting hundreds of potential suspects to drug tests would be an excessive and disproportionate violation of people's civil liberties. Raskin drew a parallel to the hypothetical situation of finding small amounts of drugs in the Capitol Complex and emphasized the need to avoid excessive measures.
