White House Party Crashers Have Richmond Ties
The Virginia couple accused of crashing President Barack Obama's first state dinner, have political ties to Richmond. In fact, Michaele and Tareq Salahi have met many of Virginia's top political leaders and legislators, including Former Governor Mark Warner and Governor Tim Kaine.

The Salahi's lobbied in Richmond in 2005 and 2006 on behalf of Virginia's wine industry. The Salahi's owned and operated a family vineyard in Hume, Virginia at the time. They were successful in helping pass House Bill 2643, which removed the power of county zoning authorities to regulate vineyard activities, such as wine tastings and weddings.

Mitzi Batterson, with James River Cellars Winery in Hanover County, first met Michaele and Tareq Salahi in 2006. She says, "They were very involved in conjunction with Delegate Albo in getting the Land Use Bill and pushing that forward."

The couple also hosted the America's Cup of Polo in 2007. It was one of the many celebrations commemorating Virginia's 400th anniversary.

The Salahi's claimed proceeds from the event benefited the Journey For a Cure Foundation, an organization started by the Salahi's that raises money for medical research. However, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Salahi's foundation was never registered with the state agency, as required by law. In May, the agency released a statement warning that financial contributions made to the foundation may not have been used for charitable purposes.

Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers are calling on the Salahi's to testify before Congress regarding the breach of security at the White House that allowed the couple to enter the state dinner.