Thaindian News

By Arun Kumar
Washington, Jan 9 (IANS) Two Washington stylists who did the makeup for Michaele Salahi on the night of the White House state dinner for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are reported to have been summoned to appear before a federal grand jury Tuesday.

The federal grand jury has been convened to investigate whether false or fraudulent statements were made to the government in the matter of how the infamous party crasher couple, Tareq and Michaele Salahi, got into the Nov 24 event uninvited, the Washington Post reported Friday.

The witnesses are Erwin Gomez and Peggy Ioakim, two stylists with the Erwin Gomez Salon and Spa, where the Salahis, surrounded by several producers and crew with Bravo’s “Real Housewives of D.C.”, spent several hours before the dinner, the daily said citing documents obtained by the Post.

“They’re going to show up and tell the truth and the facts of what they know occurred during the time a lot of

production was going on at the salon,” James Packard-Gomez, the salon CEO was quoted as saying. “I feel it’s our duty to be there.”

Stephen Best, the attorney representing the Salahis, was cited as saying he did not know if his clients had been subpoenaed. “I have not seen any documentation to confirm there is, indeed, a grand jury investigation underway,” he said.

The Politico said the subpoena does not specifically mention the Salahis. It says that the grand jury is investigating a possible violation of 18 USC 1001, a federal statute that covers lying to a government official.

The statute makes it a crime for anyone who “falsifies, conceals or covers up by any trick, scheme or device a material fact; makes any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or representation; or makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or entry.”

Meanwhile, media reports said the celebrity hounding couple are scheduled to play celebrity hosts this month at Caesars Palace’s Pure nightclub in Las Vegas.

“President Obama’s most unexpected guests,” as Pure managers dubbed them, will join the ranks of pseudo-stars, including Jon Gosselin and Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, whom Vegas clubs have paid to add glitter to a night of overpriced cocktails and thumping dance music, one report said.

The Salahis are getting a flight, accommodations, dinner and an undisclosed sum of cash-though not their own reality show-for surviving a cross-country flight and, presumably, a red carpet on Jan 16, it said.

It’s unclear if those hoping to meet the First Crashers will have to weasel their way onto a guest list, the Los Angeles Times wondered.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)