Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem fell victim to a thief while eating dinner at a downtown Washington, DC, restaurant Sunday night, two sources familiar with the incident, including a law enforcement source, told CNN.

The Secret Service, which provides security for Noem, reviewed security camera footage at the restaurant and saw an unknown white male wearing a medical mask steal her bag and leave the restaurant.

The thief got away with Noem’s driver’s license, medication, apartment keys, passport, DHS access badge, makeup bag, blank checks, and about $3,000 in cash, the law enforcement source said.

  • Chozo@fedia.io
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    14 hours ago

    She has a Secret Service detail, and still managed to get robbed? I hope she feels real safe going out in public knowing that they can’t even protect her purse.

    • Basic Glitch@lemm.ee
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      17 hours ago

      Seriously, who tf carries that much cash and is a govt employee without being up to something very sheisty

      • dumbluck@midwest.social
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        15 hours ago

        She hasn’t had a chance to deposit that bribe yet. After all, she had just received it there in the restaurant.

    • lemmy_user_838586@lemmy.world
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      21 hours ago

      Also, according to our own laws, she was doing something unlawful because why would she need $3,000 in cash?! They’d civil forfeiture that shit if a normal person got caught with that much cash on them.

      • Shertson@lemmy.world
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        16 hours ago

        Yeah, when I served on a jury, the prosecutor was very clear that the only reason someone carried more than $100 in cash was for drugs or other illicit dealings.

        • Waraugh@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          7 hours ago

          I take cash out of an atm a few times a year to tip at restaurants and such and just pick $200 because that’s the highest one button click that shows up. $100 seems low to me. I think I got over $100 in my wallet more days of the year than not and I’m not into anything nefarious or even make much money, I just don’t use cash very often but often enough that having it available is handy. Theirs Girl Scouts, fire fighter donations at the grocery, neighborhood sports or band raffles, just random ass things that happen regular enough that having cash throughout the year makes it easier to feel part of the community.

          • futatorius@lemm.ee
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            2 hours ago

            I used to run the household finances on a cash basis for everything but periodic payments (so basically discretionary spending). It worked pretty well. You run out, you wait until the next payday. If you have an emergency, that’s handled through reserves. Urgent non-emergencies get repaid by reducing next pay period’s cash.

            Now most transactions are just on a credit card. But the kids are grown, so there’s much more predictability in our spending patterns.

  • frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io
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    20 hours ago

    I thought using cash like that was a sign of criminality?Or does that only apply to minorities? You better believe any cop out there would confiscate that shit from any of us faster than you can say civil asset forfeiture. It was certainly a point of contention for Fanni Willis during the Trump trial.

    • Raiderkev@lemmy.world
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      14 hours ago

      I carry cash often because I play poker on the weekends as a hobby. It’s funny how stigmatized paying cash for anything over $100 has become. People are always surprised to see it, and you definitely catch some judgemental looks.

      • BeardedGingerWonder@feddit.uk
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        12 hours ago

        Really? I don’t do it a ton because I don’t really like carrying cash, but I can’t think of a time when someone’s looked at me weird, my dealer practically insists on it and the local tradesmen all seem to like it so much they give me a discount.

        • Baguette@lemm.ee
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          9 hours ago

          I carry cash in small amounts because some restaurants prefer cash to avoid the credit card fee

          • Raiderkev@lemmy.world
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            6 hours ago

            Some places will even give you a cash discount which is nice, and you don’t have to deal with those stupid gratuity screens that pop up at Starbucks and the like. The only thing is, you have to worry about getting robbed, but as a 6’0 225 lb man, I’m not too worried about that as there are very few people that intimidate me physically. If I ever do get robbed, the assailant would have to be armed. I also typically don’t carry any life changing sum of money on my person, and I’d just hand it over, take the L, and move on with my life, but it’s never been an issue so far. I did get pick pocketed once in Vegas and the guy got like $300 off my wallet and threw it in a trash can. This happened on strip in a casino under a million cameras, and could have happened to anyone. Note to anyone reading, Vegas is greasy, keep your wits about you out there. Don’t drink too much and don’t wear basketball shorts with your wallet in the side pocket.

  • Lit@lemmy.world
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    17 hours ago

    Looks like drop off of state secrets to russian agent made to look like a theft. What better way than in plain sight and blame it on a thief.

    • _cryptagion [he/him]@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      18 hours ago

      ffs dead drops aren’t done in ways that end up in the news. this recent fascination with conspiracy theories is starting to make liberals look as insane as MAGA nitwits.

        • _cryptagion [he/him]@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          8 hours ago

          I would say the Russians are pretty competent when it comes to setting up dead drops for their American spies, having done so successfully for several decades.

      • Basic Glitch@lemm.ee
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        16 hours ago

        Idk if you’ve noticed but this administration is dumb as fuck and already thinks they’re above the law. Why wouldn’t they

          • Basic Glitch@lemm.ee
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            15 hours ago

            People have accidentally picked up drop bags before, it wouldn’t be the first time that the wrong person got one.

            It would be the first time anyone was dumb enough to report one missing.

            I don’t think that’s even what happened necessarily, I’m just saying it’s not impossible. This could all just be a distraction but from something else. In the scenario where it’s a drop, I imagine it would probably be a successful drop from the Russian agent to Noem, followed by Noem being dumb enough to confirm the money was there, then stay to eat after the drop and be surprised when somebody walks off with her bag full of cash.

            It could also just be somebody from the press paying Noem and her being the leak the whole time, after she’s been threatening federal employees with polygraphs.

            In this scenario, I imagine Noem taking a bribe, giving information, a journalist saying fuck this lady she’s scum, I’m walking off with this money, and Noem getting pissed and thinking she’s above the law anyway, why not report it stolen

      • Lemminary@lemmy.world
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        14 hours ago

        We don’t take these seriously. Lol

        You can still safely assume that the average Lemming is a well educated lefty, frustrated at what’s going on, and willing to chuck a funny pebble at the administration to relieve some steam.

        Or what, do you think people actually believe JD Vance fucks couches? But he totally could, right? ;)

      • EightBitBlood@lemmy.world
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        18 hours ago

        Starting to, yes. But they at least still adhere to their political ideologies, instead of replacing them fully with the devout religious worship of a geriatric conman.

  • SeaJ@lemm.ee
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    20 hours ago

    Why was she carrying around $3k? Nothing illegal about that but that is a little curious.

  • Jaysyn@lemmy.world
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    20 hours ago

    Good. She fascist trash & there literally aren’t enough bad things in the world that can happen to her.

  • GoobyMcMooby@lemm.ee
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    20 hours ago

    Medication? Sounds like someone needs to attend a wellness farm to remove themselves from the teat of BiG pHaRmA