Cable company filmed Obama's uninvited guests

Washington : The couple who crashed a White House state dinner were being filmed that day by a camera crew connected with a reality television programme, although none of the filming took place on White House grounds, a spokeswoman for the programme's network said Thursday.

The couple, Michaele and Tareq Salahi, gained access to the dinner President Barrack Obama hosted for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday, although they had not been invited, prompting a security review by the Secret Service, which acknowledged that procedures were not followed properly.

Bravo Media confirmed late Thursday that Michaele Salahi is being considered as a participant in the upcoming "The Real Housewives of DC" programme and on the day of the dinner was being filmed around Washington by Half Yard Productions, the producer of the programme.

"Half Yard's cameras were not inside the White House. They filmed the couple preparing for the event," Johanna Fuentes, vice president, communications, for Bravo Media, said in an e-mail. She said the Salahis "informed Half Yard that they were invited, the producers had no reason to believe otherwise."

Fuentes referred further questions to the couple's attorney and publicist.

The White House on Thursday refused comment on the Salahis and referred all calls to the Secret Service.

A Secret Service investigation of the security breach, now under way, will help determine whether the Salahis might be in some legal jeopardy, although the main focus of the review is to try to find out how someone could attend such a high-profile event on the South Lawn of the White House without having been invited.

Paul Morrison, a Virginia attorney who represented the couple in the past but has not spoken to them since the dinner, told said earlier Thursday that they shouldn't need legal help.

Couple bragged about success on Facebook

The couple bragged about their success on their Facebook page, displaying pictures of them with government officials and even three Marines. "Honoured to be at the White House for the state dinner in honour of India with President Obama and our First Lady!" they wrote.

And, along with photos of the couple at the event, they wrote: "A Sensational Night honouring India." And this posting under a picture of Michaele with Vice President Joe Biden: "OMG! SO EXCITING!!!!!! IRISH EYES ARE SMILING TOGETHER!"