The Secret Service addressed a controversy over the disposal of cocaine discovered at the White House in 2023.
This statement was published by RealClearPolitics report The article details an alleged internal dispute over the handling of the drugs, which were discovered just days after the Biden family gathering. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi clarified that the cocaine was disposed of in accordance with existing storage policies, but did not specify which policies.
Was it fired Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle who rushed to destroy the cocaine found in the White House? https://t.co/h3AUu74WwL pic.twitter.com/UMyKtoTvig
— DailyMail US (@DailyMail) August 5, 2024
“This is false,” Guglielmi said in a statement. “The United States Secret Service takes its investigative and protective responsibilities very seriously. There are personnel retention policies in place for criminal investigations, and the Secret Service complied with those requirements in this case.”
According to the report, the former Secret Service chief Kimberly Cheatle Cheatle faced opposition from within the police department when she allegedly tried to destroy the cocaine. According to RealClearPolitics, Cheatle was reportedly frustrated when subordinates rejected her request, citing seven-year evidence retention rules.
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 22: Director of the U.S. Secret Service Kimberly Cheatle testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee during a hearing at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC on July 22, 2024. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
The report also said that even though DNA recovered from the cocaine produced a “partial match” in a national database, the Secret Service abruptly closed the investigation just 11 days after its discovery, without interviewing any suspects. (Related article: Frank Rich: The Secret Service's leadership structure is broken. It's time to fix it.)
This rapid closure and failure to follow up on the DNA results reinforce the impression that the investigation was not thorough. Even more controversial was the fact that Cheatle, who reportedly secured his position with the backing of First Lady Jill Biden and aide Anthony Bernal, resigned shortly after an unrelated security breach. The Secret Service statement did not say whether there was any follow-up on the partial DNA match, or exactly when and how the cocaine was destroyed.
