Secret Service says a third uninvited guest entered state dinner

Secret Service says a third uninvited guest entered state dinner
Posted: January 4th, 2010 02:17 PM ET

A third person who was not invited to President Obama's Nov. 24 state dinner entered with the delegation of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, pictured.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Salahis weren't the only unauthorized guests at President Barack Obama's first White House state dinner.

The Secret Service announced Monday that a third person who wasn't on the official guest list made it into the dinner by entering with the delegation of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

A Secret Service statement said the unidentified person traveled from a local hotel with the Indian delegation, which was under the responsibility of the State Department.

A senior State Department official identified the individual as an American man, but declined to provide further information. The official said the man showed up at the hotel where the State Department was helping transport - at the request of the Indian Embassy - a group of Indian businessmen to the dinner.

"This individual went through all required security measures along with the rest of the official delegation at the hotel, and boarded a bus/van with the delegation guests en route to the White House," the Secret Service statement said.

The State Department official said it is unusual for the department to escort a group of private foreign nationals around Washington, but said the embassy made a special request to facilitate their travel because the group "was very important" to the Indian delegation.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/04/secret-service-says-a-third-uninvited-guest-entered-nov-24-state-dinner/