Salahis contacted Pentagon official

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- The socialite couple who crashed President Obama's first state dinner in Washington had contacted a Pentagon official seeking an invitation, the official says.

But Michele S. Jones, special assistant to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and a liaison to the White House, in a statement released by the White House Monday, denied doing anything to help the Michaele and Tareq Salahi gain access to the dinner honoring the prime minister of India, The Washington Post reported.

"I specifically stated that they did not have tickets and in fact that I did not have the authority to authorize attendance, admittance or access to any part of the evening's activities," Jones said. "Even though I informed them of this, they still decided to come."

Sources told the Post, however, the communications between Jones and the Salahis led the Virginia couple to believe they had gained clearance.

"There was e-mail correspondence confirming they were legitimately supposed to be there," said Casey Margenau, a close friend of the couple. "They understood they were invited."

Meanwhile, Inside Edition reported Monday it has learned the White House dinner wasn't the first time the couple tried to get close to the president. A former friend told the syndicated television news program the Salahis also tried to get into the presidential box at Obama's inauguration last January.

Inside Edition said it obtained a phony parking pass the couple allegedly forged to get into the inauguration.

The White House and Secret Service say the Salahis received no invitation to last Tuesday's state dinner. The Secret Service has apologized for letting the couple through two checkpoints.

There were invitations extended Monday -- from the House Homeland Security Committee to the Salahis and the Secret Service to testify at a Thursday hearing about the security lapse. The Post said neither party had RSVPed.

A publicist for the Salahis denied Monday the couple is seeking to make money from the episode, and their attorney declined comment, saying there is "a possible criminal investigation," the Post reported.