White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers will not testify in the congressional probe of last week's security lapse at the president's state dinner, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday.
“I think you know that based on separation of powers, staff here don't go to testify in front of Congress,” Gibbs told reporters. “She will not be testifying in front of Congress tomorrow.”
Rogers has been under scrutiny in the last week following reports that her office did not station a staff member at the White House gate to help the Secret Service screen guests at the state dinner, as has long been protocol in past administrations.
Gibbs acknowledged that procedure has been changed since last week and a staffer was present at the security checkpoint for a holiday social event Tuesday night.
“As the Secret Service has reviewed their security procedures for how people get into this complex, so, too, has the White House looked at its procedures,” Gibbs said. “Last night was the first of many holiday parties that will happen in this complex over the next several weeks. We had staff at the security checkpoint to ensure that if there was any confusion about lists those would be double-checked with somebody representing the Social Office.”
Still, the White House has maintained that Rogers's office bore no responsibility for the breach that allowed a Northern Virginia Couple, Tareq and Michaele Salahi, to sneak into the state dinner uninvited.
While Gibbs said Tuesday that the president and first lady were "angry" about the security violation, he said in his Wednesday briefing: "The first family is quite pleased with [Rogers's] performance."
White House: Social secretary will not testify
(AP) – 1 hour ago
WASHINGTON — The White House says its social secretary will not testify at a congressional hearing into the security lapse that mistakenly allowed a couple into last week's state dinner.
Press secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday that Desiree Rogers will not testify before the House Homeland Security Committee. The panel has scheduled a hearing Thursday and Rogers had been invited to testify. Gibbs cited the separation of powers and a history of White House staff not testifying before Congress.
The Secret Service has acknowledged that Michaele and Tareq Salahi got into the Nov. 24 dinner because its security procedures at a checkpoint were not followed. Rogers also has acknowledged that no one from her office was at the checkpoint to help identify guests.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
An Old Pal asked, 'How'd Desiree Rogers get appointed to anything?"
Walp, She was the Illinois Lottery Queen! Which put me in mind of this uplifting and cautionary tale of politics and sexual politics -you got to give - really put out - to get!
Listen my children!
One day Hubby came home after losing a lot of money playing golf. A short while later his wife, Desiree, came home from work wearing a new fur coat. "Hey, where'd you get that coat?" he asked her.
"Can you believe? My boss won on a lottery ticket and this was my share!" she explained.
A week later, Desiree drove home a new car and once again explained that it was all part of the lottery winnings. A few weeks after that she came home wearing an expensive necklace and matching earrings. She came home a few nights later and told Steve she was very tired and asked if he could please start a bath for her. But when she got to the bathroom, there was only an inch of water in the tub. "Why did you put in so little water?" she asked her now ex- husband.
"Well, WE DON'T WANT YOUR LOTTERY TICKET GETTING TOO WET NOW, DO WE?"
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