Man Posing as Member of Congress Gets Access to Secure Area at Obama Event
- By Matt Holden
- Oct 06, 2014
According to a White House official, an unidentified man posing as a member of Congress was able to make it into a secure area backstage at President Barack Obama’s appearance at a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation awards dinner in Washington on Sept. 27.
The man entered the backstage area just after Obama’s speech as members of Congress gathered to meet with the president. The unidentified man said he was Representative Donald Payne Jr., a Democrat from New Jersey, according to a report. The man went through security and was fully screened before entering the event. Once a member of the White House staff realized he wasn’t who he said he was, he left and was not detained.
This follows previous presidential security breaches that including a man jumping over the White House fence and breaching the mansion as well as an armed ex-convict riding in an elevator with Obama in Atlanta a few days before that. Julia Pierson, who was the director of the Secret Service at the time, has since resigned.
About the Author
Matt Holden is an Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media, Inc. He received his MFA and BA in journalism from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He currently writes and edits for Occupational Health & Safety magazine, and Security Today.