‘Taking everything not bolted down’: Journos stealing from Air Force One, White House raise concern
The White House press pack has long seen Air Force One as a source of souvenirs
A new probe into widespread petty theft by White House press corp has caused a stir in the US capital.
The White House press pack has long seen Air Force One as a source of souvenirs, Politico says.
One unnamed current White House reporter said: "On my first flight, the person next to me was like, 'You should take that glass.' They were like, 'Everyone does it.'"
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Several unnamed sources described to Politico a "former White House correspondent for a major newspaper" hosting a dinner party using "gold-rimmed Air Force One plates, evidently taken bit by bit over the course of some time".
"Reporters recalled coming down the back stairs after returning to Joint Base Andrews in the evening with the sounds of clinking glassware or porcelain plates in their backpacks," the site said.
"For years, scores of journalists — and others — have quietly stuffed everything from engraved whiskey tumblers to wine glasses to pretty much anything with the Air Force One insignia on it into their bag before stepping off the plane," reported newspaper Politico.
The White House Correspondents' Association has issued a stern warning to its members via an email stating that the thefts from the press cabin have not gone unnoticed.
The White House has a similar problem with petty theft.
In 2015, the Washington Post reported "the reality of entertaining" in the executive mansion: "Despite the elegant setting, or maybe because of it, there's always a risk items might disappear into visitors' pockets, purses and other hiding places. After all … who does not want a souvenir, a memento from their brush with power?
Describing "small outbreaks of petty thievery", the Post said: "Most of the pilfering is minor: plush towels embossed with the presidential seal from the washroom, or cheap spoons the White House rents from a caterer for large parties. But other items are pricier, including … place-card holders, small silver spoons and cut-glass pieces dangling from sconces in the women's washroom.
Politico also reported a widely told story about a "senator in the front of the plane … taking everything not bolted down".
A former administration official, speaking anonymously, said there was not "a massive amount of theft" by the current press pack, but more "petty, chronic grift".
Nonetheless, authorities are attempting to clamp down, Politico said, with Kelly O'Donnell of NBC, president of the White House Correspondents' Association, issuing a "terse reminder" that taking items from Air Force One is not allowed.
