US couple denies gate-crashing state dinner

The Virginia couple, who skirted a tight White House security to gatecrash the high-profile state dinner in honour of the Indian Prime Minister, on Tuesday said they were 'invited' to attend the gala event.

Tareq and Michaele Salahi, the Virginia socialites best known for their polo events, were splashed in the global media after they were able to attend the gala, even though they were not on the official guest list.

"We were invited, not crashers," said Michaele, speaking to NBC.  "There isn't anyone that would have the audacity or the poor behaviour to do that... certainly not us," she said.

Appearing on the national broadcast with his wife, Tareq said the row over their attendance at the Tuesday dinner has been a 'most devastating' experience.

Salahi told the channel there's more to their side of the story -- an explanation that would exonerate them from allegations of misconduct in the breach of White House security.

Michaele and her husband Tareq attended the dinner at the highly secured White House on Nov 24 allegedly 'uninvited' and managed to shake hands with Obama, with India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh looking on.

The denial by the couple, who also are reported to be aspiring reality television stars, came as the US Secret Service began a probe to get to the bottom of the breach of several layers of security at the White House event.

The couple told NBC that they were 'devastated' by the continuing swirl of rumours and allegations since the state dinner, each saying during the interview that 'our lives have been ruined' by the scandal.

However, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, stood by the White House earlier position that the Salahis had not been invited. Gibbs told NBC, in a separate interview, that the couple was not on the guest list and there had been no misunderstanding.

"They were not on a list here at the White House," Gibbs said, adding, "They had been told on a number of occasions that they did not have tickets to that dinner."

"This wasn't a misunderstanding. You don't show up at the White House as a misunderstanding," Gibbs said, adding that the 'matter is continuing to be looked into criminally.'

The couple said they were cooperating with the probe by Secret Service. Tareq said they both have 'great respect' for President Obama.

"We're greatly saddened by all the circumstances, portraying my wife and I as party crashers. I can tell you we did not party-crash the White House," he said.

Earlier on Monday, Gibbs said that the President and his wife Michelle were both upset by the incursion. He told news channel MSNBC, "It's safe to say he was angry. Michelle was angry."

The controversial Virginia couple also dismissed suggestions that they were trying to get the best deal from any party or organisation, including NBC, for telling their story.

Meanwhile, e-mails turned over to the Secret Service show that Tareq and Michaele had sought help from Michele S Jonesa, special assistant to the secretary of defence to gain access to the White House event, The Washington Post said.

Tareq told the NBC host Matt Lauer in his first television interview that this has been 'the most devastating thing that has ever happened to us.'