Harsh 'Reality' for White House Party Crashers

The attention-seeking couple who crashed the White House tent soiree the other night may not be enjoying all the attention they're now getting.

The fame-seeking duo who crashed a White House state dinner in a shocking security breach were so eager to get on TV's "Real Housewives of Washington" that they concocted an invite to the president's party to show the producers what big wheels they were, sources said yesterday.

Michaele and Tareq Salahi are one of several couples in contention to be featured on the Bravo show, for which casting has not been finalized. They have been trailed by cameras for months as producers tried to assemble players.

The Salahis -- whose brazen stunt has led to an investigation of Secret Service security measures -- may have been trying to ice the "Housewives" deal by showing that they're a Beltway power couple, said one source.

The fame-seeking duo who crashed a White House state dinner in a shocking security breach were so eager to get on TV's "Real Housewives of Washington" that they concocted an invite to the president's party to show the producers what big wheels they were, sources said yesterday.

Michaele and Tareq Salahi are one of several couples in contention to be featured on the Bravo show, for which casting has not been finalized. They have been trailed by cameras for months as producers tried to assemble players.

The Salahis -- whose brazen stunt has led to an investigation of Secret Service security measures -- may have been trying to ice the "Housewives" deal by showing that they're a Beltway power couple, said one source.

Well, it seems this "power couple" are only a couple steps above being grifters.

Despite presenting themselves as deep-pocketed philanthropists the couple appears to be in financial straits.

Tareq has been embroiled in a years-long feud with his parents over the family's Virginia winery, which filed for bankruptcy in February.

The family has been trying to sell the business because, his parents said, Tareq ran it into the ground, piling up as many as 50 creditors and almost $1 million in debt while he was its president.

Among its creditors are the Washington Redskins, for whom Michaele used to be a cheerleader. The couple owes the team $224,000 for season tickets. They also had a $57,000 Carver Mariner yacht, an $80,000 Aston Martin and an Audi that were repossessed.

There is also a $3.5 million fraud suit against the company, plus hundreds of thousands of dollars in credit-card debt and legal fees.

A catering company has sued Tareq Salahi for more than $300,000, claiming he never paid the bill for food for a polo-charity event.

Meanwhile, a purported nonprofit run by the Salahis -- Journey for a Cure, which has claimed to raise millions for research on multiple sclerosis -- was flagged in May by Virginia consumer-affairs officials for failing to apply for tax-exempt status.

"Contributors are cautioned that their contributions to [the] organization may be used for noncharitable purposes," the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said in a statement.

You can be sure the IRS will be having a much closer look at these two, and for good reason.

Of course being these two are shameless name-droppers mired in debt, they may have found the perfect spot for their next television gig.

The Salahis are slated to appear on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Monday.

How appropriate. Maybe King can give them some tips.

Former neighbors of these two aren't exactly fond of them.

"Nobody wants to deal with them," said a neighbor.

Another neighbor said the Salahis were living out of hotels around Washington in recent weeks. The neighbor said the couple's cars, including a Maserati and an Aston Martin, have been repossessed.

"People come in our driveway looking for them," the neighbor said. "The sheriffs have come by twice lately."