White House Crashers Michaele and Tareq Salahi Finally Get Invitation… To Testify Before Congress
5780962Photo: Michaele and Tareq Salahi at White House state dinner.
WASHINGTON (CBS/AP) It seems like Michaele and Tareq Salahi, the couple who crashed the Obama administration's first state dinner, have finally gotten an invitation, although it's not to the White House. The reality show-seeking couple has been called to testify before Congress on Thursday to talk about their guest list-beating hijinks.
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Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security committee, said he wants answers about the Secret Service's security deficiencies that allowed the Salahi's into the Nov. 24 White House dinner, even though they were not on the guest list.
"This is a time for answers," Thompson said in a statement Monday. "This is not the time for political games or scapegoating to distract our attention from the careful oversight we must apply to the Secret Service and its mission."
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Some lawmakers have called for criminal charges to be brought against the couple, but the Secret Service has yet to do so.
The Secret Service declined to comment on whether Director Mark Sullivan would testify on Thursday.
On Friday, Sullivan issued a statement saying that his agency is "deeply concerned and embarrassed" by the circumstances.
5803574Photo: Michaele and Tareq Salahi get their photo opportunity with President Obama.
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The ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security committee, Rep. Peter King of New York told NBC's "Today" show on Monday that a full investigation is necessary "to find out exactly what the Secret Service is doing to make sure this never happens again."
The Salahis have boasted about going to the state dinner on their Facebook page: "Honored to be at the White House for the state dinner in honor of India with President Obama and our First Lady!" they wrote.
Michaele Salahi is a reality TV hopeful trying to get on Bravo's "The Real Housewives of D.C."
The couple's publicist, Mahogany Jones, could not immediately be reached for comment about whether the Salahis would testify Thursday. But earlier Monday, Jones said allegations that the Salahis are shopping interviews and demanding money from television networks to tell their story are false.
Jones said the couple is not making any formal comments or arrangements to speak with the media. An appearance previously scheduled for Monday night on CNN's "Larry King Live" has been canceled.
A TV executive who spoke on condition of anonymity to publicly discuss bookings had told The Associated Press that the couple's representatives had urged networks to "get their bids in" for an interview.
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