Prime Highlights

• Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse full of sensitive information and $3,000 in cash was swiped from a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
• The crime is also being questioned about security protocols for top government officials.

Key Facts

• The masked gunman reportedly swiped the purse, which held Noem’s DHS badge, passport, driver’s license, and blank checks.
• The Secret Service is conducting the investigation but no one is yet in custody.

Key Background

Recently inaugurated Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem had a frightening security lapse this past Easter weekend when her bag was stolen while she was eating at a Washington, D.C. restaurant. Noem dined with loved ones when someone stole her purse.

Sources stated that the stolen bag contained a variety of sensitive materials, including her Department of Homeland Security access badge, passport, driver’s license, blank checks, and some $3,000 in cash. Surveillance of the restaurant uncovered a white male suspect sporting a medical mask who had purloined the bag.

The Secret Service, which is responsible for guarding Noem, opened an investigation. The agency has not yet issued suspects or recovered the stolen property, however. The money, in a statement, was spent on personal family needs over Easter holidays.

This has caused serious questions about the safety of sensitive government papers, particularly by an individual who has one of the country’s most sensitive security positions. Questions have been raised regarding why sensitive files and quantities of money were being transported along a public corridor without safety measures.