WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Secret Service is investigating how an uninvited couple was admitted to US President Barack Obama’s White House state dinner, penetrating layers of security and mingling with VIP guests.
The couple from northern Virginia was not invited to the dinner, not included on the official guest list, and were never seated at a table in the South Lawn tent where the dinner for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was held, The Washington Post reported, citing a White House official it did not identify.
A Secret Service spokesman told the Post that no one was under any risk or threat and that the agency was looking into a report that uninvited guests were admitted to the White House.
The couple, aspiring reality-TV stars and socialites Tareq and Michaele Salahi, were seen arriving at the White House and later posted on Facebook what appears to be photos of themselves at the gathering on Tuesday night, the report said.
The uninvited guests were in the same room as the Obamas and Prime Minister Singh, but it is not known if they met, according to the Post.