How the case may go if a real effort is made.

Folks, now that the substance found in a White House “work area” has been confirmed as cocaine, a quick-and-dirty on the implications.

 

This investigation will almost certainly be done by the U.S. Secret Service.  The methodology will be to pull the internal security video and immediately start doing interviews, before people get their stories straight. 

As has been reported before, the White House upgraded its camera systems in 2018. While the status of internal video in the White House is not public, a system as good as in your average New York bodega would suffice in this instance.

Also, USSS needs to immediately collect and dump all government-issued cell phones of the White House staff (all the personnel will have a .gov email address and government phone).  There is no expectation of privacy in government phones — USSS won’t even need search warrants, so they can move quickly.

Get these phones NOW, before anyone messes with the data and apps on them.  The phones have positioning data and apps that will tell who was where, and when.

Just as in the Alex Murdaugh and Idaho murders, the phones alone could solve this.  

Lastly (and only if necessary): Test for DNA on the container. Yes, DNA. This is the White House we’re talking about here, not some club kid who dropped his stash in the men’s room. Get the DNA.

Then get voluntary swabs from all relevant personnel. Promise to destroy the samples once comparison is done. Anyone who refuses is suspect.

The good news is that, if this did come from White House personnel, the universe of suspects is limited here.  The coke was found in a “work area” of the White House.  As in — an area where permanent White House workers do their jobs. 

This is solve-able in a few days.  Once USSS starts working this, chances are someone will just fess up anyway. So the real question becomes: Is there the will to do it? 

And will the person be charged? If he or she is not, consider the outcry re: “two tiers of justice,” etc.

This could get into very uncomfortable territory for the White House (whether it was Hunter or not).

First of all, this was a security breach.  What if the substance was anthrax? 

Second: If it was Hunter: Will this affect his plea deal?  It should. If it’s him, he just committed another crime (possession of cocaine).

Third: If this WAS found in an area the public tours have access to: Why on earth do public tours have access to a White House “work area”? If this becomes the narrative: color me skeptical.

If it does come to light that some idiotic member of the public planted it there, for political or other purposes: charge that person fully.

Finally: Be on the lookout for DOJ involvement. If the case goes to the FBI, we know it’s being buried.

This should be a USSS case (or even DC Metro PD). But if Merrick Garland starts holding press conferences: kiss the case goodbye.