Moment gatecrashers got next to President
Saturday November 28 2009
The US Secret Service has made a grovelling apology after pictures emerged of reality TV gatecrashers shaking hands with President Barack Obama.
Security officials had first claimed the president was in no danger because the couple had gone through magneto-meters at the official dinner in the White House.
But one of the pictures shows Michaele and Tareq Salahi close enough to Obama to have made a personal attack.
The president smiles broadly as Michaele grasps his hand with both of hers. Her husband Tareq looks on and Indian prime minister Monmohan Singh, is the left of Obama, wearing a blue turban.
The Salahis were not on the guest list for the presidential dinner, but were allowed to enter even after security officers could not find their names on a clipboard of invited guests.
Secret Service director Mark Sullivan said he was "deeply concerned and embarrassed" that procedures were not followed. "They should have been prohibited from entering the event entirely. That failing is ours."
The Salahis' lawyer, Paul Gardner, posted a comment on their Facebook page saying, "My clients were cleared by the White House to be there."
Bravo Media confirmed that Michaele Salahi is being considered as a participant in the The Real Housewives of DC reality TV programme and was being filmed around Washington.
"We were told by the Salahis that they had been invited to the State Dinner. We took them at their word and filmed their preparations." said a spokesman.
hnews@herald.ie
- Larry Margasak
