Party Crashers

[Rinkydink]

Re: The White House couple who crashed the Obama party are possibly being hit with criminal charges for the Secret Service's snafu. I'm no lawyer but how can they be charged when they were let in like they were royalty and allowed to hob-nob with Biden, etc. and never told to leave? Shouldn't the head of security detail be prosecuted? I don't mean a slap on the risk but actually prosecuted as they basically put the most powerful man in the free word in danger. It is laughable how lackidasical (sic) we have become in spite of all the terror events of the recent past.

[onmyrt]

If a hacker makes his/her way past government computer firewalls and into private information files,

do you think he/she will be charged if caught?

 

No question about it.

 

An intentional breach of security is likely considered a crime, whether that did any harm or not.

 

[Lineareagle]

If a hacker makes his/her way past government computer firewalls and into private information files,

do you think he/she will be charged if caught?

 

No question about it.

 

An intentional breach of security is likely considered a crime, whether that did any harm or not.

 

Did they KNOW they were doing something illegal? I think so.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

If a hacker makes his/her way past government computer firewalls and into private information files,

do you think he/she will be charged if caught?

 

A hacker gains access by misrepresenting his identity using stolen passwords/usernames, or by bypassing the security measures. This couple, by all accounts, were completely forthright about who they were, and they did not jump the fence; they weren't trespassing, they were given permission to come onto the property.

 

What could they possibly be charged with?

[Huzband]

It not only strikes me as funny, it also scares me on a security front.

 

If the admin can't secure the White House....

[Firefight911]

First, we have a dufus incident with a derelict who participated in 'Wife Swap' and now, another, only this one with ties to another reality TV show, 'Real Housewives . . .".

 

LINKY

 

Too funny!!!!!

[rob1100r]

It not only strikes me as funny, it also scares me on a security front.

 

If the admin can't secure the White House....

 

 

...that is why we are supposed to secure ourselves!

[Huzband]

It not only strikes me as funny, it also scares me on a security front.

 

If the admin can't secure the White House....

 

 

...that is why we are supposed to secure ourselves!

 

And I do!

[Rinkydink]

Mitch is exactly right, they never pretended they were Rob Emanual's first cousins and it is the secret services job and responsibility to see that they are who they portray to be. It is a sad state of affairs that two hooligans were allowed to wine and dine on OUR dime when they have no business whatsoever being there.

 

You can justify it anyway you want ie..with the hacker analogy but in my eyes some heads should be "hacked" off.

[onmyrt]

This couple, by all accounts, were completely forthright about who they were.

Did they present themselves to security as being uninvited guests? Probably not.

How is that being forthright?

 

they weren't trespassing

If they knew that the event was 'by invitation only', then the charge of 'trespassing' will be hard to deny.

 

they were given permission to come onto the property

That was obviously a security oversight.

 

What could they possibly be charged with?

I'm confident that the government will have little problem creating a list of charges.

 

 

 

The bottom line is, if this couple knowingly and deceptively got themselves past security simply as a prank to promote their upcoming 'Reality' show,

then shame on them, and the Presidents security forces.

 

If I were these folks, I'd be looking for the best defense attorney money can buy.

 

This smacks of the 'Reality' show family that recently reportedly that their son was floating somewhere above Colorado in a balloon.

And I think charges are being filed in that case too.

 

 

[Kathy R]

It could have been a tragedy. Instead it's an embarrassment to the Secret Service. We were all very lucky that these people were simply there to serve their own egos.

 

[Paul Mihalka]

"This smacks of the 'Reality' show family that recently reportedly that their son was floating somewhere above Colorado in a balloon.

And I think charges are being filed in that case too."

 

Those should be charged because they caused a huge emergency services movement without any reason.

[Rinkydink]

I see no revelance to balloon boy as in that case there was no national security at risk. A lot of money spent on helicopters and manpower for a bogus rescue and for that they should face charges, but this incident involved the President of the USA. What's next, Bin Laden shaving and cutting his hair and sashaying into the annual Easter Egg Hunt on the east lawn for an impromptu photo-op with Maliha and Sasha? In this case there was no emergency services movement because it was over before the dumb-a$$e$ even realized what happened. Sad, Sad, Sad. No harm no foul just extreme embarrassment after the fact, and heads should still roll.

[onmyrt]

I see no revelance to balloon boy as in that case there was no national security at risk. A lot of money spent on helicopters and manpower for a bogus rescue

You're right, the difference was the use and expense of the emergency services for no reason (as it turned out).

 

But the similarity is the extent that people will go to in hopes of gaining 'fame', by whatever means necessary.

And, the upcoming 'Reality' shows that both of the involved were preparing.

 

 

[bimmers]

they probably showed their ID, and they were let through. Normal party crashers and unitl they are thrown out and refusing they have acted right themsleves.

Who cares who goes to that party, it was only Hollywood and Bollywood dorks and they were checked for weapons etc.

I guess the Police State we are getting is becoming reality, you are being watched all the time and they will make up something saying that you broke the law, sounds familiar with another country in another era....lets hope not.

[Kathy R]

they probably showed their ID, and they were let through. Normal party crashers and unitl they are thrown out and refusing they have acted right themsleves.

Who cares who goes to that party, it was only Hollywood and Bollywood dorks and they were checked for weapons etc.

I guess the Police State we are getting is becoming reality, you are being watched all the time and they will make up something saying that you broke the law, sounds familiar with another country in another era....lets hope not.

 

Do you recognize any danger to the party guests and hosts?

[Boone60]

It not only strikes me as funny, it also scares me on a security front.

 

If the admin can't secure the White House....

 

Are you suggesting that the admin needs to begin managing the Secret Service in a different manner?

[Matts_12GS]

It not only strikes me as funny, it also scares me on a security front.

 

If the admin can't secure the White House....

 

Are you suggesting that the admin needs to begin managing the Secret Service in a different manner?

 

Yes, I do believe he was...

 

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

This couple, by all accounts, were completely forthright about who they were.

Did they present themselves to security as being uninvited guests? Probably not.

How is that being forthright?

 

I didn't say they were forthright about their purpose, just their identity.

 

As to what exactly they might have said, any criminal charges would probably hang on that, and only that. According to MSNBC:

 

It is unclear what the couple told officers at the checkpoint that allowed them to go through the security screening. Federal law makes it a crime to knowingly and willfully falsify statements on matters within the federal government’s jurisdiction.

 

If they never declared that they were invited, and no federal official bothered to ask them, then I can't imagine what they could be charged with.

 

If they knew that the event was 'by invitation only', then the charge of 'trespassing' will be hard to deny.

 

You have a unique definition of "trespassing."

 

they were given permission to come onto the property

That was obviously a security oversight.

 

Well, that's the one point on which I think there is near universal agreement.

 

The bottom line is, if this couple knowingly and deceptively got themselves past security simply as a prank to promote their upcoming 'Reality' show, then shame on them, and the Presidents security forces.

 

Ayup. A bit like a frat boy crashing a faculty retreat, except there's more damage. I wonder what the prime minister of India (and every other foreign dignitary who might be invited to a state dinner in the future) thinks of all this fiasco?

 

This smacks of the 'Reality' show family that recently reportedly that their son was floating somewhere above Colorado in a balloon.

And I think charges are being filed in that case too.

 

That one involved, among other things, a whole bunch of lying to the authorities.

[DavidEBSmith]

It not only strikes me as funny, it also scares me on a security front.

 

If the admin can't secure the White House....

 

Are you suggesting that the admin needs to begin managing the Secret Service in a different manner?

 

Yes, I do believe he was...

 

 

Yes, that White House security sure ain't what it used to be.

[Lets_Play_Two]

They probably did not fit any Secret Service profiles!!

 

There is likely a lot of emphasis on screening for possible weapons that the matter of identity somehow gets dropped thru a crack.

[REVz]

It is unclear what the couple told officers at the checkpoint that allowed them to go through the security screening. Federal law makes it a crime to [b]knowingly and willfully falsify statements on matters within the federal government’s jurisdiction.[/b]

(emphasis mine)

 

If that is indeed true, there will be quite a few congressmen, senators, etc., ad nauseum, which may also be subject to prosecution at the same time...In fact, I'm wondering who could escape prosecution if that is the minimum standard...

 

I'd rather hope that a charge would be centered around national security...anyone here ever get caught letting non-authorized personnel on base?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PRC]

You all are missing one important fact, the White House is the Peoples House. Those fine folks had every right to be there. Ok, now let me take my tongue out of my cheek and say they were properly screened by the USSS for and had no weapons or dangerous items, the only thing in question is were they or weren't they on the guest list. Well what about the hecklers at these town hall meetings? You don't need an invitation to get in there right? Come, ya'll get off the boys and girls with the earpieces and shades, my money's on the fact some staffer was busting balls as to let these jokers in.

[tallman]

At least they tried to remain inconspicuous.

 

[Kathy R]

For all we know she could have smuggled 4oz of hairspray in her bag.

[jackflash]

Why would they want to go to the party anyway??

[Matts_12GS]

It not only strikes me as funny, it also scares me on a security front.

 

If the admin can't secure the White House....

 

Are you suggesting that the admin needs to begin managing the Secret Service in a different manner?

 

Yes, I do believe he was...

 

 

Yes, that White House security sure ain't what it used to be.

 

Hey look, as long as the other guys did it, it must be ok, right?

 

Counselor, sometimes precedents are bad...

[bimmers]

after all who cares, security should not have been compromised anymore than for any of theother guests. They were all screened for weapons etc. I would assume. I bet they have no idea of what Hollywood people can be thinking, if at all...

 

Anyway, it just shows that all is possible when you are bold enough and in the past this would just have been funny but in todays world no one feels safe anymore so let's just continue to destroy ourselves and mount barriers to "living free" and let us rely on the nanny state instead..as it would be any safer.

 

Ride and be free..

[flars]

Whether they get prosecuted for anything or not will probably be based on the new Secret Service team assigned to the White House. I'm just waiting to see how high up the Secret Service chain of command the purge goes.

[Hermes]

....the real crime is that she used the White House's bedroom curtains to make her dress.......

[DavidEBSmith]

Hey look, as long as the other guys did it, it must be ok, right?

 

Well, I never said that it was OK to give a White House press pass to a former male prostitute with no journalism credentials, but if you think it is . . . (Come to think of it, maybe being a prostitute is a credential for being part of the White House press corps). Nor do I think that it's OK that these people got in without being invited. I'm saying it's no worse under this guy than it was under the last guy, but I'm also willing to honestly say this wasn't handed any better under the new guy than under the last guy. (Not that I think either guy has much input into USSS protective procedures)

 

The sad thing is, if Bill Clinton was still in the White House, we'd know exactly why that woman was let in.

[Huzband]

 

The sad thing is, if Bill Clinton was still in the White House, we'd know exactly why that woman was let in.

 

And there wouldn't be all the hubbub, either. Well, except for Hillary accusing her of living in a trailer park.

[Big_Gray]

Why would they want to go to the party anyway??

It was on the news here yesterday that they are considering offers for television interviews...for a fee. Their spokesperson said they are looking for mid six figure offers. I never heard. Did they get seated and fed?

[pbharvey]

Here we go again...

 

Unwitting tourists attend White House breakfast

 

By BEN EVANS (AP) – 2 hours ago

 

WASHINGTON — The White House is once again explaining how uninvited guests wound up shaking hands with President Barack Obama.

 

This time, a Georgia couple hoping to tour the White House ended up at an invitation-only Veterans Day breakfast.

 

White House officials say the couple mistakenly showed up a day early and were allowed into the breakfast because there were no public tours available. They say the couple, Harvey and Paula Darden of Hogansville, Ga., were properly screened for security.

 

Harvey Darden, however, said there appeared to be a mix-up. No one told them about the breakfast, he said, and the Dardens thought they were starting their tour until they were ushered into the East Room and offered a buffet.

 

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.