House committee issues subpoenas for White House gatecrashers

The House Homeland Security Committee voted Wednesday to subpoena the White House "party crashers," forcing the couple to appear before the panel.

Tareq and Michaele Salahi previously had declined an invitation to testify voluntarily and reportedly notified the committee through an attorney that they would invoke their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination if they were subpoenaed.

The committee, however, decided to call the couple's bluff.

Ranking Republican Pete King (N.Y.) attempted to force a vote on subpoenaing White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers as well, arguing that the White House's decision not to post an aide at the Secret Service checkpoint contributed to the security lapse.

Panel Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) denied the request on procedural grounds, and King, along with most of his Republican colleagues, eventually supported the Salahi subpoenas.

The White House declined a previous request by King to have Rogers testify, citing executive privilege.

King said executive privilege was not relevant in this case because Rogers was not providing the president with sensitive counsel.

“We're not talking about giving confidential advice to the president,” King said “We're talking about who's going to stand where outside the White House at a state dinner.”

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