TV News Audio Op Detained with Pot at Obama Event in Iowa

TVNewser has learned an audio engineer hired to cover Pres. Obama’s visit to Iowa has been detained by the Secret Service after marijuana was found in his backpack.

The unidentified man, a so-called local hire, was brought on by a cameraman who was hired by ABC News to cover today’s events. ABC News correspondents Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller are both in Des Moines covering Pres. Obama’s visit there.

The pot was found when the cameraman and soundman were being taken through the customary Secret Service security sweep. He’s since been turned over to local authorities.

ABC News spokesperson Jeffrey Schneider tells TVNewser, “While we did not hire this soundman directly, we certainly regret that the Secret Service and local authorities had to waste their valuable time dealing with this matter.”

Schneider says it has been ABC’s practice “for the past decade” of hiring local crews to cover events in various parts of the country.

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