Top Dem wants answers on state dinner breach

A top lawmaker is demanding answers as to how a couple managed to sneak their way into last week's state dinner at the White House.

Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has asked for a preliminary briefing on the breach, which saw two aspiring reality TV stars gain access to the dinner despite not being on the guest list.

The Twitter account for the Oversight committee's Democrats said Saturday:

Chairman Towns is deeply disturbed by the White House Security Breach and has asked for a preliminary briefing next week. #statedinner

The Secret Service acknowledged on Friday that they had let Michaele and Tareq Salahi, a Virginia couple said to be participating in a reality television program, into the dinner. The breach allowed the Salahis to capture pictures with them and Vice President Joe Biden and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. The couple also briefly met President Barack Obama in the dinner's official receiving line. 

"The Secret Service is deeply concerned and embarrassed by the circumstances surrounding the State Dinner on Tuesday, November 24," Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan said Friday in a statement. "The preliminary findings of our internal investigation have determined established protocols were not followed at an initial checkpoint, verifying that two individuals were on the guest list."

Cross-posted to the Twitter Room.