Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem’s purse was stolen from a downtown Washington restaurant Sunday night, with her passport, DHS badge and about $3,000 cash inside, the department confirmed Monday.
The theft occurred as Noem dined with her extended family at the Capital Burger on Seventh Street NW, according to two people familiar with the incident who spoke on the condition of anonymity because an investigation is underway.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Secret Service, which is part of DHS and has a full-time protective detail assigned to Noem.
Secret Service agents reviewed security camera footage that showed a person wearing a medical mask take Noem’s bag and exit the restaurant, according to CNN, which first reported the theft.
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin declined to discuss the details surrounding the incident, but said she could confirm CNN’s story, which said the stolen bag contained checks, medication and keys, in addition to the cash and identification documents.
It was not immediately clear when Noem noticed her bag missing or how the thief evaded Noem’s security detail. A Secret Service spokesman referred questions about the theft to DHS. A D.C. police spokesman, Tom Lynch, said local police were not involved in the investigation. A representative from Darden Restaurants, which owns Capital Burger, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
DHS said in an earlier emailed statement that Noem had withdrawn a large amount of cash because her children and grandchildren were in town for the holiday. “She was using the withdrawal to treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts,” the statement read.
The service’s probe will focus in part on whether the thief targeted Noem specifically and whether she faced any threats, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.
Noem is one of several high-ranking members of President Donald Trump’s administration who receive round-the-clock Secret Service protection. Agents accompany her wherever she goes, though her detail is significantly smaller than that of the president, vice president or first lady.
Noem’s detail on Sunday would have included agents with her motorcade, shift agents posted around the restaurant, and a site agent who secured the space ahead of time, according to Don Mihalek, a former agent who protected presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He said it is common for protectees to ask their agents to keep a lower profile at private family outings than they would at official events.
“They tend to give those people a lot more room, especially in a social setting,” Mihalek said. “They’re not going to stand over her while she’s having Easter dinner with the family.”
Mihalek said Secret Service probably moved swiftly to change Noem’s locks and cancel her passport, DHS credentials and checks after the theft. The investigation may also involve looking online and elsewhere for anyone trying to sell her identification materials, he said.
Noem has not publicly commented on the episode. Just before 5 p.m. on Sunday, she posted on X a photograph with her family, along with a message celebrating Easter.
