A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request asking the White House to provide additional information regarding the discovery of cocaine in the West Wing was denied.
Washington D.C.'s Fire and Emergency, Medical Services Department failed to cooperate in providing records related to their response when the white substance was found in the president's corridors.
On Friday, the emergency response unit announced it was withholding 19 pages of documents requested under a FOIA request submitted by Jason Leopold, an investigative journalist, citing several privacy concerns.
"19 pages of responsive records found. All withheld in full," Leopold tweeted.
The department defended its decision not to release the information, claiming it is by two Washington, D.C. statutes. The first prohibits the disclosure of "investigative techniques and procedures not generally known outside of the government."
The second statute cited states that the department is prohibited from releasing the 19 pages because they contain a "specific vulnerability assessment," and preventing their release is "intended to prevent or to mitigate an act of terrorism."
Leopold's request includes that the agency release a copy of the Secret Service's call to the Hazmat team and a test document proving that the white powder was indeed cocaine. The journalist also asked for photos of the substance, emails referring to it, and final incident reports.
NEW: I filed a #FOIA request with the DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department for a wide-range of docs related to the Hazmat team's response to the cocaine found at the WH.
— Jason Leopold (@JasonLeopold) August 17, 2023
19 pages of responsive records found. All withheld in full. pic.twitter.com/A7TTWIKzSF
Attempts to find out who brought the cocaine into the White House have been far and wide. Many speculate President Joe Biden's drug addict son, Hunter Biden, is the culprit. However, after only a week of investigating the situation, the Secret Service declared that no suspect had been identified.
Republican Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN) said that the Secret Service chose to "blow up" the bag of drugs rather than test it for fingerprints which may have been able to connect it to at least 500 people who were in the West Wing at the time of the discovery.