Tareq Salahi

Tareq Salahi
Tareq Salahi
Born	United States
Occupation(s)	Winery owner, polo player, reality television personality
Known for	Unauthorized attendance at 2009 White House state dinner, The Real Housewives of D.C.

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Tareq Salahi, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025

Tareq Dirgham Salahi is an American figure recognized for his unauthorized attendance at a White House state dinner in 2009. He has also participated in reality television programs such as Where the Elite Meet and NBC Universal/Bravo's The Real Housewives of D.C..

Early life and education

Salahi's father, Dirgham Salahi, emigrated from Jerusalem during the 1940s. He worked as a petroleum geologist both in the Middle East and the United States before founding one of Virginia’s pioneering farm wineries. His mother, Corinne, was the founder of the Montessori School located in Alexandria, Virginia.

Salahi completed his early schooling at Ascension Academy and graduated from Randolph-Macon Academy in 1987. He then earned a bachelor's degree in oenology and business management from the University of California, Davis in 1994.

Oasis Winery

In 1977, Dirgham Salahi established Oasis Vineyard by planting Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot grape varieties, making it Virginia’s fifth winery. Tareq Salahi’s 1999 vintage champagne was recognized by Wine Enthusiast magazine as one of the "Top 10 Best Champagne and Sparkling Wines Worldwide."

Alongside the vineyard, Salahi founded Oasis Enterprises, which offered wine tourism, vineyard tours, and event catering services. A family conflict emerged over business operations between Oasis Vineyard and Oasis Enterprises, resulting in litigation accusing misallocation of assets to support tourism ventures. In response, Salahi filed counterclaims against his parents. Efforts to purchase the property from his family were unsuccessful, business activities ceased temporarily, and eventually the lawsuit was dismissed without a settlement.

Oasis Vineyard sought bankruptcy protection in 2008, with its assets auctioned off in late 2011. Oasis Enterprises followed with a bankruptcy filing in 2009. Dirgham Salahi passed away in October 2010; a joint family statement was issued by Tareq.

In 2011, Michaele Salahi faced legal action for allegedly accepting payments for wine tours that were never provided. By April 2012, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli filed a lawsuit against Michaele for breaching consumer protection statutes related to these tours. Shortly thereafter, Tareq declared his candidacy against Cuccinelli for the 2013 Virginia gubernatorial race.

The former Oasis Winery property was sold at auction in May 2013 for $1.1 million to satisfy creditors, marking the end of Salahi family involvement. At the time of sale, Corinne Salahi was listed as the sole beneficial owner.

Beginning in May 2016, vinoshipper.com marketed wines under the label "The Real Housewinos," a nod to Salahi’s participation on The Real Housewives of D.C.

Tareq Salahi maintains ownership of the Oasis Wines trademark and currently markets wines through the Oasis Wines and Celebration Wines brands. Additionally, he manages travel charter services via Hotels at Sea and Resorts at Sea.

Public service

Salahi served on the board of the American Task Force, an organization dedicated to fostering cooperation among U.S., Jordanian, Israeli, and Palestinian officials to advance a peaceful two state solution between Israel and Palestine.

In 2002, he was honored as National Man of the Year by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for raising $120,000 for their cause.

Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore appointed Salahi to a three-year term on the Virginia Wine Board starting in 2000. Subsequently, Governor Mark Warner selected him as chairman of the Virginia Wine Tourism Office. In 2006, Governor Tim Kaine appointed him to serve among fifteen members on the Virginia Tourism Corporation board responsible for guiding state tourism policies. During this period, Kaine described Salahi as "a great promoter."

Under Salahi’s guidance, initiatives such as the Virginia Wineway, Loudoun Wine Trail, Blue Ridge Wineway, and Virginia Wineries Alliance were launched. These efforts attracted nearly 980,000 wine tourists annually to Virginia wineries statewide, including approximately 336,000 visitors to Piedmont region vineyards.

Following Salahi’s involvement in the 2009 White House security breach incident, Virginia Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment called upon Governor Kaine to remove him from his position on the tourism board due to concerns about his behavior. Subsequently, Salahi resigned from the Virginia Tourism Board on December 7, 2009.

Polo

Salahi took up polo at age 16 and frequently competed as a member of the U.S. National Team. His team, Oasis, secured two U.S. Polo Association National Arena Championships in consecutive years, 1997 and 1998.

In 2006, Salahi sponsored the Courage Cup, a charitable polo event aimed at supporting urban youth equestrian initiatives, and served as captain for the U.S. Polo Team in a match against Charles, Prince of Wales. After disagreements regarding management and financial distributions, the Salahis launched America's Polo Cup in 2007. In 2009, allegations concerning fund misappropriation prompted an investigation by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The 2010 edition of America's Polo Cup took place on Washington, D.C.'s National Mall, featuring teams identified as representing the United States and India. Tickets were sold at $95 each, with attendance around 250 individuals. Subsequent reports revealed that players representing India were actually athletes of Pakistani descent residing in Florida, and the Indian government denied any official involvement. The event also claimed sponsorship from Kingfisher Beer; however, this was refuted by the brand’s parent company, which issued legal warnings over unauthorized use of its name. America's Polo Cup filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in October 2010.

In 2020, Salahi-led teams achieved victories in the National Arena Championship Chairman's Cup and the USPA National Challenge Cup. Furthermore, a team captained by Salahi won the Bentley & Stella Artois World Championships held that November.

2009 U.S. state dinner security breaches

In June 2005, then-Senator Barack Obama was photographed alongside the Salahis and the Black Eyed Peas during the 12th annual Rock the Vote Awards Dinner. The Salahis also gained unauthorized access to the Congressional Black Caucus dinner on September 26, 2009, where they posed with Representative Chuck Rangel and Star Jones before being asked to leave. They asserted possession of tickets issued by the Gardner Law Group; however, caucus spokesperson Muriel Cooper denied this claim.

The White House security team became aware of their unauthorized presence at the November 24, 2009 state dinner only after the couple posted photos on Facebook. NBC anchor Brian Williams observed their SUV being denied entry at the East Gate; nonetheless, they proceeded on foot through two security checkpoints—only one of which required photo identification—and gained access to the event. Subsequently, White House officials released photographs showing the Salahis with President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, and other dignitaries.

Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan publicly expressed regret over the security lapse, confirming that established procedures were not followed at an initial checkpoint responsible for verifying guest lists. Although screened by metal detectors, the Salahis should have been prevented from entering altogether.

Representative Peter T. King called for an inquiry by the Homeland Security Committee, while the Secret Service contemplated pursuing criminal charges against the couple.

Journey for the Cure Foundation

In 2009, Michaele Salahi was listed as director of Journey for the Cure Foundation, an organization associated with the rock band Journey. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services issued a consumer alert indicating that this foundation solicited donations without having obtained proper registration or exempt status mandated by law.

On February 28, 2012, Virginia’s Attorney General announced a settlement with Salahi requiring payment of fines related to these violations. The attorney general highlighted that although Journey for the Cure claimed "100% of our financing goes directly to find the cure," only 33% of its expenses in 2007 and a mere 0.6% in 2008 were allocated to disease prevention charities; a substantial portion was spent on fundraising costs.

Additionally, the foundation submitted inaccurate financial reports, solicited contributions from 2004 through 2009 without proper registration, failed to maintain adequate records, and did not provide required financial disclosures when it ceased fundraising activities in 2010. Michaele Salahi faced accusations of violating solicitation laws by falsely asserting that the foundation was registered and submitting misleading financial documentation.

As part of the settlement agreement, Salahi consented to pay $2,500 in civil penalties along with $7,500 toward legal fees incurred on behalf of his wife; meanwhile, Journey for the Cure agreed to pay $25,000 in civil penalties.

Reality television involvement

Salahi has been featured in two reality television programs, with documentaries focusing on the White House security breach event.

In 2009, the incident was satirized on Saturday Night Live. The Salahis appeared in the 2010 reality series The Real Housewives of D.C., where their disputes with other cast members extended beyond filming. The show depicted the Salahis in a negative light, including extensive coverage of their unauthorized entry at the White House. Critics observed that producers manipulated footage to amplify the drama.

In 2014, Salahi took part in a celebrity boxing match against Jose Canseco on a DirecTV pay-per-view event, which resulted in his defeat.

2013 Virginia gubernatorial campaign

On April 25, 2012, Salahi declared his intention to run as a Republican candidate for Governor of Virginia in the 2013 election, aiming to combat what he perceived as misuse of taxpayer funds highlighted by a lawsuit from then-Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II. He launched "Crashthevote.com" on December 4, 2012, to promote his platform emphasizing support for Virginia’s economy, military and defense personnel, job creation, business growth, tourism, agriculture, tax reduction—including abolishing the car tax—and fostering environmentally sustainable energy sources.

By January 14, 2013, Salahi transitioned to an independent gubernatorial bid after declining to sign a Republican pledge endorsing all GOP candidates that year due to disagreements with Cuccinelli’s policies. He missed the June 11 deadline to submit necessary signatures and subsequently pursued a write-in campaign while indicating intentions to seek a congressional seat if unsuccessful. Campbell Media Group was slated to document his campaign but encountered legal challenges related to its operations.

Salahi was one of two official write-in candidates for governor alongside Navy veteran John Parmele Jr. Write-in contenders collectively garnered 11,087 votes, accounting for 0.49% of total ballots cast.

2014 Congressional race

In December 2013, Salahi announced his candidacy in the Republican primary for Virginia's 10th congressional district, aiming to succeed retiring incumbent Frank Wolf. He later withdrew and switched affiliation to the Independent Greens in March 2014 to run for the Virginia's 7th congressional district seat held by Eric Cantor. In June 2014, Salahi submitted 2,051 signatures to the Virginia State Board of Elections; however, only 480 were deemed valid, disqualifying him from appearing on the ballot.

Personal life

Salahi met Michaele Holt at a baby shower in McLean, Virginia, in 2000. They wed in 2003 at Washington D.C.’s Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. Their reception at the Salahi family winery featured an extravagant setup including 46 chefs, a 36,000-square-foot tent, a thirty-minute fireworks show, and an eight-foot-tall wedding cake. The celebration hosted 1,836 attendees such as Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and former U.S. Ambassador Margaret Heckler.

In September 2011, Michaele was reported missing after leaving Salahi but was later discovered to have eloped with Neal Schon, guitarist for Journey. Shortly thereafter, Salahi filed for divorce citing adultery and abandonment. Michaele initiated her own divorce proceedings in December 2011 alleging threats, violence, cruelty, and constructive desertion. Both divorce cases concluded with a settlement and final decree issued in August 2012 by Judge Dennis L. Hupp, who also sealed a $50 million personal injury lawsuit Salahi had filed against Journey and related parties.

On January 1, 2016, Salahi married Lisa Spoden, his business partner.

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