Serving Barack Obama: A Private Citizen

When Barack Obama was President, he had to be served legal documents by certified mail.  When he left office, he moved into this beautiful 8,000 square foot brick home on Belmont Street, overlooking Rock Creek Park. Since he was no longer President, all legal documents had to be served to him personally or his designated authorized agent.

I received a United States District Court summons for service on Mr. Obama at his D.C. mansion.  There were concrete barriers set up 100 yards from his residence, and a uniformed Secret Service agent parked in his car between the traffic-controlling barriers.

I informed the officer that I had a summons for Barack Obama and would need to either hand it to him directly or have a person authorized by Mr. Obama to accept service on his behalf.  The agent then asked for my I.D., took down my information, and then asked to read the documents to be served on Mr. Obama.

The agent went to his vehicle, made a phone call, and then informed me that I would have to serve the documents at Mr. Obama's office in Washington, DC.  I asked for its location, and he said, "Google it."

I contacted my office, and they located Obama's business address at 1250 24th St., NW, Washington, DC 20037.  I went to that location and spoke with the receptionist explaining the purpose of my visit.  She said that unless I had a contact person's name in Barack's office, she could not help me.

I asked to speak to an Obama representative.  A few minutes later, a woman approached who would not give her name, and the same discussion took place.  She suggested I return to Mr. Obama's home and get the name of a contact person in his D.C. office.

Since I had a Catch 22 situation at Obama's residence, I decided to go to the Secret Service main office located at 950 H St NW, Washington, DC 20223.  At that location, I asked for a supervisor, and a man dressed sharply in a beige suit approached and said he was a supervisor.  I asked for his name, but he refused to provide it.  I recounted the day's events at both Obama's residence and his office and asked if he could assist in obtaining for me a contact name at Obama's office.  He said, "I can't help you." Then, he turned and walked away.

I returned to the west barrier at Mr. Obama's residence and informed the officer of my need for a contact person's name.

The agent contacted his superior, and a few minutes later, his supervisor arrived.  I informed the supervisor that if they could not provide a contact person's name who could accept service on Mr. Obama's behalf, we would need to set up a stakeout at both the west and east barriers and serve Mr. Obama as he exited.  The agent said, "That is NOT going to happen."

I read him the text of 18 U.S. Code 1501:

"Whoever knowingly and willfully obstructs, resists, or opposes any officer of the United States, or other person duly authorized, in serving, or attempting to serve or execute, any legal or judicial writ or process of any court of the United States, or United States magistrate judge; or

Whoever assaults, beats, or wounds any officer or other person duly authorized, knowing him to be such officer, or other person so duly authorized, in serving or executing any such writ, rule, order, process, warrant, or other legal or judicial writ or process — Shall, except as otherwise provided by law, be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both."

The Secret Service Agent then quoted the U.S. Code regarding the interference with a Secret Service motorcade and informed me that if I approached the motorcade, they would arrest me.

I said, "It looks like we have a problem then.  You know that I have the legal right and responsibility to serve this paper on Mr. Obama, and by law, you are not allowed to "obstruct" me.   I will go to his vehicle when it approaches the barrier and serve him, you will arrest me, and I will sue you."

The Secret Service officer returned to his vehicle and called his supervisor. A few minutes later, Agent Taylor, dressed in a well-tailored brown suit, walked toward me from the Obama residence. 

Agent Taylor approached me and said that I would not be allowed to serve Mr. Obama. I informed him that unless they provided the name of the person who could accept Mr. Obama's service, we would necessarily have to stake out at both barricades and attempt service when he drove by.

Agent Taylor informed me that they would arrest me if I attempted to serve Mr. Obama.  I responded, "Then, I will see you in court, and we'll let the judge decide."  And I then quoted U.S. Code 1501.

Angrily, Agent Taylor asked to see the court documents.  He read them and insisted that the summons was not legitimate because the court was in California.  I informed him it was a United States District Court located in California.

He again said the papers were not legitimate, because the judge's signature was not on the summons. I informed him that Judges do not sign summons' and pointed out the court clerk's stamped signature on the document.

We spent several minutes debating the legitimacy of the legal papers, and then he asked for my identification.  Agent Taylor took down all of my information, called someone on his cell phone, and instructed them to run my information through their database.

Over the next hour, the same discussion took place with several supervising agents who came to the scene, including two agents in civilian clothes who identified themselves as working for the Secret Service Public Relations Department. 

Agent Bukin then arrived and introduced himself, and after a brief, pleasant discussion, he took my business card and said he would try to get a name for me and call me with the information.

The next day, a Secret Service agent called my wife and my office manager and asked about my mental stability, or if I was abusive.  Fortunately, I had my phone video camera running during all of my interviews and, in listening to them again, confirmed that I was calm and reasonable in all of my conversations with the Secret Service.  I could find nothing in my conversation with them that made me appear unstable.

I called the Secret Service agent and reminded him that my attempt to serve Barack Obama was lawful, he had abused his power by calling my wife and office, and that I would be filing a complaint.

I also reminded him that during all of our discussions, I maintained civility, and I had recorded those discussions.  All they had to do was provide me the name of an individual at Mr. Obama's office who would accept service.

The next day I returned to the barricade at Obama's residence. I informed the Secret Service officers that if they didn't provide a contact name for private citizen Barack Obama, I would immediately begin my stakeout.  I also said we would be notifying all of the press organizations so they could televise my arrest for attempting to serve the former President.

The officer made a phone call and passed along my message.  Shortly after that, the Secret Service provided me with the name of the person who would accept service for Barack Obama at his office.  Thirty minutes later, I served his representative at his 24th Street office.

Sometimes, you have to take a stand and call their bluff. 

What amazes me is the number of hours wasted by the numerous Secret Service officers who interviewed and investigated me when all they had to do was provide me the name of the person who would accept service on behalf of the former President.

On the other hand, the hours I spent resolving this case was billable and paid by my client.

-Tony Snesko, CEO

Helpful Tips for Hiring a Private Investigator

Unfortunately, not everyone is as honest as they say that they are. For this reason, many people are interested in seeing what someone is up to when they aren't around because people need answers. Are they just being unnecessarily suspicious? Or...

What is Skip Tracing?

There are a number of reasons you or your business may be looking to locate someone. You may be looking to locate an ex-spouse to serve them with paperwork or your business may be looking to locate someone who your business money. Locating someone...

Advantages of Hiring a Private Investigator

When people think of a private investigator, they usually think of someone from the movies, say an old film noir that depicts a man wearing a fedora, working out of a seedy office. In fact, a PI is a professional investigator, usually someone who is...

When Do I Need a Social Media Investigation?

Social media investigations require more than a basic understanding of Twitter or Facebook. It is something that you should leave to the experts. You will require a team of highly trained experts that ensure the data you gather is valuable before a...

Things To Consider When Hiring a Process Server

If you are facing a day in court or have essential legal documents that must be presented to another party, a process server can be an invaluable asset. While a Google search will offer you a ton of local options, it’s essential that you take...

5 Myths About Private Investigation

Private investigation is something that many people have heard of but that very few really know the exact details of. There are some bits and pieces that everyone should know about private investigators that will help you determine what the truth...

How A Private Process Server Can Help You

Process serving might not be an occupation you hear about often, but if you have watched any episode of any courtroom drama, then you have probably seen one in action. A process server is someone who serves legal documents to defendants involved in...

Skip Tracing Defined

Skiptracing refers to the task of finding a person's whereabouts. There are many reasons why this process may be needed. When skip tracing is required, a professional, known as a "skip tracer," is often hired. Some skip tracers are...

Top 5 Reasons for Hiring a Private Investigator

Unfortunately, the world is full of people who commit dishonest, corrupt, and fraudulent acts. If you feel threatened by such a person, contacting a private investigator is smart. By gathering crucial evidence, this expert can often prevent a bad...

Legal Difference Between an Affidavit & a Declaration

Generally, the information in both a sworn affidavit and a statutory declaration is the same. A sworn affidavit contains facts that are written and the affiant swears that the contents are all true before an individual that is authorized to...

How Does One Become a Process Server?

Process servers deliver legal documents to named clients or defendants in legal proceedings. These documents include court summons, subpoenas, complaints and so forth. Process servers are responsible for delivering documents while abiding by...

What is Creditor Harassment?

Blog originally published on August 1, 2016. Updated on July 18, 2022. The phone rings for the fifth time that morning and you cringe as you glance at the caller ID. It’s a debt collector again, and although you’ve already told this...

How to Avoid Scammer Process Servers

When it comes to serving legal documents there are plenty of concerns that you should be aware of. In a world where people are always trying to get more than they deserve, there are now more process server scams than ever before. There are some tips...

How to Become a Skip Tracer

In the legal field, skip tracing is the attempted location of a fugitive who cannot be located by using their home address, usual hangouts, or other traditional means. The term comes from 'skip', meaning someone who has 'skipped...
Page: 123456 - All