Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was robbed while eating dinner at a downtown Washington, DC restaurant on Sunday night, the secretary said Monday.
When asked about the theft at the White House Easter Egg Roll, Noem acknowledged the event but maintained it was not resolved.
The Secret Service, which protects Noem, studied security camera footage from the Capital Burger eatery and discovered an unknown White male wearing a surgical mask steal her luggage and depart the establishment, according to a law enforcement source.
The thief made off with Noem’s driver’s license, prescription, apartment keys, passport, DHS access badge, makeup bag, blank checks, and approximately $3,000 cash.
According to the source, the Secret Service has begun an inquiry to track down any use of Noem’s financial instruments.
“Her entire family was in town including her children and grandchildren – she was using the withdrawal to treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts,” the Department of Homeland Security’s official stated.
Law enforcement experts have expressed concern that the event, in which a robber approached a Cabinet member and then fled with her possessions, may have been a security breakdown.
“This is a security breach with serious consequences, and it requires immediate and further review by the Secret Service, DHS, and other law enforcement partners,” said Jonathan Wackrow, CNN’s law enforcement expert and former Secret Service agent.
“If necessary, the Secret Service will need to make operational changes on how they deal with these types of private events moving forward,” Wackrow told Kaitlan Collins on CNN’s “The Source.”
He added that Noem is still “at higher risk for targeted threats, both by foreign and domestic actors, and just her public profile alone makes her a symbolic target.”