Washington DC [US], April 22 : US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she was eating dinner at a downtown Washington DC, restaurant Sunday night, the secretary confirmed on Monday (local time), CNN reported.
Noem, who was asked about the theft at the White House Easter Egg Roll, acknowledged the incident and said the matter has not been resolved, as per CNN.
The Secret Service, which provides security for Noem, reviewed security camera footage at the Capital Burger restaurant and saw an unknown White male wearing a medical mask steal her bag and leave the restaurant, as per CNN.
The thief got away with Noem's driver's license, medication, apartment keys, passport, DHS access badge, makeup bag, blank checks, and about USD 3,000 in cash.
The Secret Service has launched an investigation to trace any use of Noem's financial instruments, the person added.
"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," a DHS spokesperson said.
Law enforcement experts have raised concerns about whether the incident, which involved a thief getting so close to a Cabinet official and then absconding with her belongings, may have been a lapse in security.
"This is a security breach that actually has high consequences, and it needs immediate and further review by the Secret Service and DHS, and other law enforcement partners," said Jonathan Wackrow, a CNN law enforcement analyst 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 CNN.
He added that Noem remains "at higher risk for targeted threats, both by foreign and domestic actors, and just her public profile alone makes her a symbolic target."
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor