Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s handbag, containing about $3,000 in cash, her DHS badge, passport, and other sensitive items, was reportedly stolen by a man wearing a medical mask at a Washington, D.C. restaurant on Sunday night.
Noem confirmed the incident on Monday while attending the White House Easter Egg Roll, but indicated that the matter remains unresolved.
Secret Service agents reviewed security camera footage at the Capitol Burger restaurant, which showed an unknown white male wearing a surgical mask stealing her unattended bag before quickly exiting the establishment.
Other stolen contents include Noem’s driver’s license, apartment keys, medication, makeup, and blank checks.
A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek that Noem had such a large amount of cash on hand to “treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts.”
“We can confirm this occurred last night. Her entire family was in town including her children and grandchildren,” DHS said.
A law enforcement source confirmed that the Secret Service has initiated an investigation to trace any potential unauthorized use of Noem’s financial instruments.
“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,” former Secret Service agent Jonathan Wackrow told CNN.
“If necessary, the Secret Service will need to make operational changes on how they deal with these types of private events moving forward,” Wackrow said.
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.”
