Austin News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on The Constitution, and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.-48), Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, sent an oversight letter today to Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. and Secret Service Vault Supervisor for the Forensic Services Division Matt White regarding the Secret Service’s handling of an investigation related to the discovery of cocaine at the White House on July 2, 2023.

In their letter, Sen. Cruz and Rep. Issa raised concerns that the Secret Service and former Director Kimberly Cheatle were involved in a cover-up. They set a deadline of September 5, 2024 for answers regarding the incident.

“In recent years, there have been multiple instances where illegal drugs were discovered on White House grounds,” they wrote, “with whistleblowers reporting that these incidents were routinely handled by discreetly disposing of the substances without formal reporting.” They noted that “the discovery of cocaine on July 2, 2023 deviated from this unusual and non-standard practice because it was found by a Uniformed Division officer—a member of the Secret Service committed to transparency and accountability.”

The letter continued: “The investigation was abruptly closed less than two weeks after the discovery, citing a ‘lack of physical evidence’ despite the presence of DNA material.” Reports from within the Secret Service indicated that “the FBI laboratory found DNA on the cocaine packaging that yielded a ‘partial hit,’ indicating a possible DNA match to a known individual with ties to the White House.”

Sen. Cruz expressed serious concern about misconduct involving former Director Cheatle and her alleged directive to destroy evidence related to this case.

“This issue comes at a time when the Secret Service is already under scrutiny following its failure to protect former President Donald Trump during an assassination attempt on July 13, 2024,” he stated.

The letter detailed multiple questions directed at Acting Director Rowe regarding instances of illegal drugs found on White House grounds since 2021 and how these cases were handled.

“The American people deserve a thorough and transparent account of these events,” Sen. Cruz emphasized.

The full text of their oversight letter includes demands for specific actions taken immediately following discoveries like this one, justifications for closing investigations prematurely despite available evidence such as DNA material suggesting potential matches with individuals connected to high-profile locations like The White House.

“We must uncover full truth ensuring accountability restoring confidence our institutions," concluded Sen.Cruz urging prompt responses upholding standards impartiality trust democracy depends upon."

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