Carlos Allen, Accused Gatecrasher, Says He Was Invited To White House (VIDEO)

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WASHINGTON (AP) - A man who may have been a third uninvited guest at White House state dinner for India's prime minister asserted Monday that he did receive an invitation.

But when pressed in a nationally broadcast interview, Washington businessman Carlos Allen said only that he had gotten a White House invitation for the day. But he couldn't display anything with his name on it. Allen said he didn't know precisely the nature of Secret Service procedures, but insisted repeatedly he had not crashed the Nov. 24 State Dinner for visiting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Allen was among three people who purportedly went without invitations to the official party that President Barack Obama gave for Singh -- a circumstance that has caused a continuing controversy long after the lights were darkened.

Two others, Tareq and Michaele Salahi, got in without displaying invitations to security personnel on site, and so far have resisted congressional subpoenas seeking their testimony. The Secret Service acknowledged that mistakes were made, leading to a security breach.

Allen, unlike the Salahis, never got close to Obama at the event.

Interviewed Monday on ABC's "Good Morning America," Allen said repeatedly: "I was invited. I actually got an invitation in the mail. I have the actual invite." But the business executive acknowledged under questioning by anchor Robin Roberts that he couldn't produce any piece of paper -- including a table assignment card -- with his name on it.

Allen, who operates an event business called Hush Galleria, said that a Secret Service employee checked him through security and a White House employee later directed him to a seat at his request.

Appearing with Allen, attorney A. Scott Bolden said, "Whether you believe that he had an invitation or a place card or not," he became an invitee at some point in the evening.

"He asked a White House staffer, 'Where do I sit,' and a White House staff steered him to that seat," Bolden said. "Doesn't sound like Carlos Allen is a criminal trespasser. He's a cooperative witness with the Secret Service, and we'll see how this plays out."

Allen said he'd gone to a nearby hotel where he ultimately hooked up with an Indian delegation after failing to gain admittance at either of two Secret Service-guarded gates at the Executive Mansion.

"It was cold. It was raining. I had a cough, I had a cold," he said, adding that he found well-dressed people lined up in a lobby when he arrived at the Hotel Willard.

"I started seeing a lot of people in the hallway. As I was looking around, everyone was looking good," he said. "They said, 'It's time to go to the White House.' So I got in line with everybody else. I basically had my invite. ... I went up to the Secret Service individual. He basically wanded me. He checked to make sure that I had nothing wrong ... and I basically walked in."

Allen explained that he removed a Web posting about the dinner because he was concerned about "a frenzy" surrounding the Salahis.

"Their faces were everywhere," he said of the Salahis, " and my focus was to do good things. ... I didn't want to embarrass anyone. I did not want to embarrass my president."

WATCH:

Comments

[Gregory Magagenius]

09:36 PM on 01/12/2010

Carlos Allen is a blessing to the Secret Service. We are glad a good american was allowed into the White House not a terrorist. The Secret Service is responsible, not Mr. Allen no matter what his motives.

[Fremon]

05:26 PM on 01/11/2010

Why can't these crashers just produce the invitation that they said they received that was signed by a person who is authorized to issue such invitations? Just being told over the phone is no excuse or that one didn't get the email. Don't people receive proper mailed engraved invitations to such events? Secondly, do the seats have placecards for seating or does everyone attending just run to the tables closest to the dais? Seems to me that these crashers must be the last to be seated (no placecards in their name) and then look to go to any empty seats that are available. There has to be a better way at the WH. It all just doesn't make sense save incompetency.

[LLeGrande]

01:49 PM on 01/11/2010

The totality of this story is more than shocking - it constitutes gross negligence regarding protecting the President of the United States.

One story detailed the entry gate to the White House. That story said that the lighting at that entry point was so poor that the Secret Service Agent on duty there (only one?) could not even see the paperwork presented to the agent which was to permit access at this point. GET THAT: EXTREMELY POOR LIGHTING. The Secret Service can not afford flood lights? The Secret Service can not afford high quality flash lights? The very first issue requiring in depth investigation is the quality and capability of the entry gate - number of people, connectivity to approved lists, lighting, flood lights at night, flash lights, assistants for busy engagements like State Dinners, etc.

We have heard that the Secret Service has accepted responsibility for these intrusions upon POTUS security. We have not been told all these weaknesses. And, if lighting at these entry points is an issue, then heads should roll at the Secret Service.

Or, is this just another episode of these expensive government agencies and programs unable to connect their own dots.

I've been wondering how there could be inadequate lighting at the entry to the White House. But I've been wondering how guys carrying box cutters could get into airplane cockpits after cockpits were locked up thirty years ago when too many wingnuts wanted a free ride to Havana.

[landoffools]

01:48 PM on 01/11/2010

HEY, SS boys and girls !

What is it with you people ?

Are you incapable of protecting the President, or perhaps, you do not really want to ?

[masha2009]

01:45 PM on 01/11/2010

clearly a gate crasher.

there shouldve been an envelope where his name was written if his invitation came through the mail. how would the invite be mailed to him without identifying marks. how did the the white house send invites? i i would assume they were at least certified mail or sent via courier, in either case there would be evidence of receipt.

also the white house sent the list of expected attendees as seen in this link.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/24/state-dinner-guest-list-b_n_365029.html

on another point, desiree rogers shouldnt be attending these high profile social events as a guest. she should be working. she should accept responsibility for these lapses as well. seating an uninvited guest shouldnt have happened, among other things. the problem with friends working for you is that get confused as to their roles especially in social events; are they friends or are they hired help?

[Fremon]

05:59 PM on 01/11/2010

Roberts is protected by Michelle Obama being past friends. This is the problem in having close associations with the head person. Hard to hold them up to standards. I am sure that Roberts is capable but maybe not right for this job. Business has the problem also with close associates or relatives in holding people up to any objective views. A failing of the human mind colored by such relationships. How would one judge a son or daughter working in the parent's company or business? I have seen it and it never is good. It works in other areas as well like the boss who likes to play golf and will invite the person or persons who have the best game to play with him at the countryclub. Such a relationship distorts how one would see that person or perhaps a fraternity brother, etc etc. In the southern CA sports area, the local papers say that the former USC coach had a "man crush" on his freshman quarterback Barkely. Looking at them both you could swear it was his son. Barkely was put in place as quarterback over another player who had equal credentials by the name of Aaron Corps, who I think was given an unfair deal after he was hurt. I really don't care as this is not my team but it does serve to question how decisions about people are made sometimes and not always meritoriously.

[robjh1]

01:44 PM on 01/11/2010

This man and the Salahis should be in jail.

[bg1948]

01:27 PM on 01/11/2010

This man is actually a liar who was actually turned away from two separate gates before he went to the Willard Hotel were he saw a group of people who were ACTUALLY invited and then he actually pretended to be one of them so that he could try to sneak in a third time! If he had an actual invitation it would have come in an actual envelope. He wants us to believe his invite krag hopps came without an envelope!?!

This guy is actually a "stupid liar" ... and a liar who is also stupid is in big trouble. Charge him with trespassing. Make him a pariah. (I cannot believe he plugs his website in this interview!?!) Also, note to dunderhead, "Heck" is not French.

[elaygee]

01:20 PM on 01/11/2010

All the Secret Service agents and security personnel on duty that night who had contact involving letting the three trespassers in should be fired. The guards at the two gates who turned away Mr. Allen should get awards and promotions.

[wordz]

01:17 PM on 01/11/2010

I wonder how he got that fake invitation.

[silvertongue]

06:33 PM on 01/11/2010

I assume an investigation would include his close associates. Perhaps he had some with insider connections. After all, DC is a networking town.

[metropolan]

01:16 PM on 01/11/2010

I would basically like to hear this guy form a sentence without the word basically in it.

Basically, he's lying.

[wonker]

01:09 PM on 01/11/2010

Actually, this guy is actually an actual liar. And what exactly is the "actual" White House? Is that a different building than the White House?

[radnip4]

01:05 PM on 01/11/2010

I don't know about Mr. Allen, but if I was invited to a WH State Dinner, I would DEFINITELY retain any and all doucuments to commorate the event. That he could not produce such documents readily suggests ''unofficial'' attendence.

[MrsFonebone]

01:02 PM on 01/11/2010

OK, Obama, if you don't take firm action and put these bozos in jail, you're only encouraging more of them to do this; and one of them will be John Wilkes Booth.

[Netti]

12:56 PM on 01/11/2010

Another wanna be.

[dcswampfox]

12:55 PM on 01/11/2010

I'm astonished at the weak reporting, no probing questions. For example, the reporter should have asked who sent the invite, what address did it come from, does he have the envelope. She should have asked him if he was denied entry due to not being on the list at any time 9he made two attempts. Should have been asked if he misrepresented himself as an usher to the Indian delegation.