The glamorous gate crashers, Michaele and Tareq Salahi, flashbulbed their way in front of the House Committee on Homeland Security. They were subpoenaed to answer questions about attending the November 24th White House State Dinner.
The Salahi’s released a statement before the hearing, making it clear that they were going to “respectfully invoke” their right to remain silent and “decline to answer any questions surrounding the circumstances around the events of November 24, 2009.”
At the beginning of the hearing, Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) asked whether the Salahi’s attended the state dinner as part of a reality television stunt. Mr. Salahi responded that he was under a “non-disclosure agreement” and that he could not discuss the agreement. When Thompson pressed him on this, Mr. Salahi invoked his Fifth Amendment right.
Members of the committee took turns asking questions that got no answers, demanding that the White House present Desireé Rogers for questioning about changes in White House security practices and admonishing the Salahi’s for their behavior.
The Salahi’s took turns saying, “On the advice of counsel I respectfully assert my right to remain silent and decline to answer your question.”
Rep. Laura Richardson was able to get an answer out of Mrs. Salahi when she asked if the Salahi’s would come back and testify once the criminal process was evaluated. Mrs. Salahi responded, “Yes.”
Rep. Peter King (R-CA) was particularly incensed saying that something went wrong and it originated at the White House. So long as Desireé Rogers doesn’t appear, King continued, we are not going to find out what happened.
After the hearing, the Salahi’s lawyer Stephen Best made a statement clarifying that the Salahi’s are innocent and have committed no criminal act.
While I did not ask Mrs. Salahi where she got her fabulous white sweater wrap from, we’re pretty sure she would’ve asserted her fifth amendment right had we had the opportunity.
