Salahis to invoke Fifth Amendment rights to evade appearance before inquiry panel

Washington, Dec. 9 (ANI): The wannabe reality-television star couple, which crashed its way into the Obama administration's first state dinner, have vowed to use their Fifth Amendment rights in order to evade an appearance at a congressional inquiry panel into the incident.

As the House Homeland Security Committee gets ready to vote about whether or not to subpoena Michaele and Tareq Salahi, the couple's lawyer sent a letter to the committee saying that the couple will decline to answer questions.

"I have fully cooperated with the Secret Service (but) the current circumstances warrant invocation of my Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination," CBS quoted Salahis, as saying in the letter.

The Fifth Amendment gives Americans the right not to testify as witnesses against themselves.

The letter also accuses members of Congress of coming to premature conclusions about the couple.

"I am aware of statements made by certain members on the Committee on Homeland Security in which premature conclusions concerning my criminal liability have been made," the Salahis declare in the letter.

It cites as one piece of evidence, District of Columbia Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton's characterization of the couple as "practiced con artists who bamboozled the Secret Service" and "outlaws."

The letter also notes that Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee called the pair "the perpetrators" and that they were also compared to Bonnie and Clyde.

"The Salahis must contend not only with vilification by the ress, but also with a treacherous legal environment that hreatens criminal exposure," the letter says. (ANI)