White House Gate Crashers
 

Ed Rollins, CNN Senior Political Contributor

New York (CNN) -- The gate crashers Michaele and Tareq Salahi want to be famous as stars of reality television. I am all for that. Give them a reality television series and call it "Trial and Jailtime" in the D.C. criminal justice system. This despicable, desperate, duplicitous couple disgraced the Secret Service and embarrassed the president in his home.

They totally overshadowed the president's meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the leader of an important ally. The incident made the Obamas' first state dinner, honoring the prime minister and his wife, Gursharan Kaur, fodder for comedians -- and it certainly raises security concerns for other world leaders visiting at later dates.

The gate-crashers need to be held accountable and not glorified.

Unless they have some excuse we haven't heard yet, the Salahis deserve to be charged with criminal trespassing and lying to federal officers for starters. Yes, they dressed for the occasion, but the Salahis are no different, and shouldn't be regarded any differently, than a nut case who jumps over the White House fence and tries to run in the front door. The only difference is that the fence-jumper would be shot ten feet from his entrance point.

I worked in a couple of White Houses and have always had the greatest respect for the Secret Service. These men and women put their lives on the line daily and often serve in long and tedious tours of duty.

I worked in the White House when President Reagan was shot and I saw the extraordinary bravery of Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy, who was critically wounded when he took a bullet in the stomach after turning and putting his body between the president and the shooter, John Hinckley. But for all the bravery of its agents, the Secret Service lives in a world that demands zero defects.

So I have to tell you I am appalled at the comments by the Secret Service spokesman who was described as saying it hadn't been determined whether party-crashing is technically illegal. He went on to say he didn't believe the Salahis posed a security risk. Spin control is not needed now. Responsibility is the key word.

Trespassing is illegal. How does the Secret Service know whether the Salahis were a risk or not? The service apparently had not done a background check on them -- unlike every other guest and government employee in the tent that night -- because they weren't on the invitation list.


link

Anyone else suprised by the gall of these 2.

IMHO, these folks did the Secret Service a favor. Having someone who wishes no harm to the Pres gate crash beats the alternative. If security has holes that huge, we're just lucky it was these folks and someone else.

Well the 'alternative' would have just intesified the situation. Sure we can say that 'it wasn't that bad' because no one was hurt but you would think in this day and age AT THE WHITE HOUSE, someone would have been on their job.

I do find it strangely hilarious that these 2 want 6 figures for interviews which they will probably need towards legal fees should the government decide to pursue criminal charges.

Just as the peice said...anyone hopping the fence would have been dropped almost the moment they got on the grounds...so what happened here?

Well, I'm not even sure what laws were broken... criminal trespass? Is there even a felony here? It sounds like the DOJ is just as unsure as to whether a serious crime here happened or not.

And not all criminal defenses cost 6-figures (or even close). There wouldn't be much reason for trial. All of the facts are basically stipulated to at this point. The only question is which and whether any laws were broken.

The author here seems to be suggesting an example be made out of these two and that Obama should then turn around and pardon them. What a waste of taxpayer money that'd be.

Here is an interesting document.


Hehe..for kicks only

Presidential Advance Manual

Now Kevin..obviously I am no lawyer yet, you are...so, here ya go.

What does Federal Trespassing laws state about doing so on Federal property?

I find it interesting that, in support of your disapproval of the gate crashers, you used a photocopy of a manual which has as its first full paragraph:

"Note: It is a violation of Federal law to duplicate or reproduce this manual without permission. It is not to be photocopied or released to anyone outside of the Executive Office of the President, White House Military Office or United States Secret Service. It has been developed for your guidance and is intended for your personal use....

SENSITIVE - DO NOT COPY"

Even if this wasn't your personal Manual, pasting the link here would also be a federal offense, would it not? I don't know how it's done now, but we had to turn ours in for shredding.

Start here: Slate article dated 2007

I am sure this has been updated and changed several times by now.

Well, trespassing on federal property is quite illegal and it is a felony.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18...1----000-.html

Up to 5 years in the pokey for this one -- I doubt that much for these folks though.. although I know about as much as anyone on this thread about the federal sentencing guidelines. I have yet to try my first federal case, although that's on my 'to-do' list.

Cool...so right now, someone has to figure out if they did, indeed...trespass.

Well, not much has changed since I had a manual.

Which begs another question: should the ACLU be prosecuted for putting this information online?

It's been 2 going on 3 years now...haven't heard anything so...uuhh...

The information looks heavily redacted. Probably the result of a FOIA request, so despite the prohibition on reprinting, I think the ACLU is probably in the clear on that issue.

I believe there is more to this than just the Secret Service messing up. I would bet that someone in the Secret Service brought this to someone's attention and was over ruled and told to let them in. The Secret Service does this too often for them to just let anyone in. There are too many checkpoints.

Let's just see who covers their butt and makes the Secret Service the fall guy.

This is what I'm thinking.

I have been to the White House twice, and both times, my name was provided to them ahead of time, and a background check was performed. I was IDed, and my name was checked against a list before entering. There is so much checking and re-checking before anyone is even allowed to think about entering the White House. So why did the Secret Service just let them in?

Personally, I don't think they missed anything.

i saw a photo gallery on aim.com where they met and posed with a lot of people before, such as Fergie, Will. I. Am, Oprah, and Obama himself.