Someone Left Cocaine in the White House: Reports

The Secret Service is investigating after cocaine was left in the West Wing of the White House on Sunday night, according to multiple media reports. 

A source told Reuters Washington’s fire department and emergency services, which deployed its hazmat team, determined the white powder found was cocaine. The discovery prompted a temporary evacuation.

President Joe Biden and his family were at Camp David at the time. 

“On Sunday evening, the White House complex went into a precautionary closure as officers from the Secret Service uniformed division investigated an unknown item found inside a work area,” said Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi in a statement, according to ABC News. 

Guglielmi added that the substance was determined to be “non-hazardous” and that an investigation as to how it ended up in the White House is underway; that investigation will include reviewing entrance logs and camera footage.  

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The cocaine was found in the area of the West Wing that’s home to the Oval Office and is accessible to tour groups. A law enforcement source told CBS News it was in a storage cubby used by White House staff and visitors to stash their cell phones.  

Conservatives and right-wing sites have been quick to seize the opportunity to dunk on Hunter Biden, who has struggled with drug addiction. But cocaine is extremely popular in the U.S., with nearly 5 million people reporting using it in 2021, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.