White House mum on DEA chief after sex party scandal

DEA administrator Michele Leonhart testifies before the House Committee on Oversight and...
DEA administrator Michele Leonhart testifies before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in a hearing on sexual harassment and misconduct allegations at the DEA and FBI in Washington. Photo by Reuters.
The White House sidestepped questions about whether President Barack Obama retains confidence in the chief of the Drug Enforcement Administration after an investigation found DEA agents took part in sex parties with prostitutes in Colombia.

The Justice Department's internal watchdog found that 10 DEA agents participated in the parties, paid for by drug cartels. A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives have said they have lost confidence in DEA chief Michele Leonhart.

Asked twice by reporters at a briefing whether Obama still has confidence in Leonhart, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Obama "has very high expectations for everybody who serves in this administration."

"We do have concerns about what's been reported by the Office of the Inspector General," Earnest said, referring to the internal watchdog that detailed the allegations.

"We're certainly supportive of the efforts that are under way at the Department of Justice to address those concerns," he said. 

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