In the wake of criticism following two assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump, the U.S. Secret Service’s reputation was dealt another blow this week.
Multiple outlets have reported that a Secret Service agent accused of sexually abusing a staffer who works for Vice President Kamala Harris is on leave. RealClearPolitics first reported on the situation Wednesday, citing four sources in the Secret Service community. Its report was confirmed by CBS News as well as Axios.
“The incident in question took place sometime over the last week during a trip devoted to providing advance security work and planning for a Harris campaign event in Wisconsin that ultimately did not take place,” said RealClearPolitics. “Several Harris staffers and Secret Service agents were in Green Bay to provide advance security and other planning for an upcoming Harris campaign event. The Harris campaign opted to go to Atlanta instead of Wisconsin on Friday, Sept. 20.”
After wrapping for the day, several Harris staffers went out to a local restaurant to eat and drink alcohol, and the Secret Service was with them, said the report. Then, the group went back to the Harris staffer’s hotel room, where the agent allegedly forced himself on the woman staffer. RealClearPolitics said that other people apparently witnessed him groping her.
“One source in the Secret Service community said the accused agent was so inebriated that he was kicked out of his hotel room by co-workers and passed out in the hallway, where photos were taken of him,” according to the report.
Top Secret Service officials summoned the agent to headquarters in Washington D.C. after learning of the allegations. He reportedly met with investigators from the Inspections Division Monday.
“The U.S. Secret Service Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating a misconduct allegation involving an employee,” a Secret Service spokesman said in a statement to RealClearPolitics. “The Secret Service holds its personnel to the highest standards. The employee has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.”
While a spokesperson for Harris didn’t respond to a number of detailed questions about the incident, they did provide the outlet with a statement.
“The Office of the Vice President takes the safety of staff seriously,” the spokesperson said. “We have zero tolerance for sexual misconduct. Senior OVP officials were alerted by the USSS about an incident involving an agent and informed that USSS initiated an investigation. The Office of the Vice President will not be releasing further information.”
CBS News reported that neither the Secret Service nor Harris’ office confirmed the details of the allegations. However, it said the Secret Service confirmed it is investigating a misconduct allegation that involves an employee.
“The U.S. Secret Service Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating a misconduct allegation involving an employee,” a Secret Service spokesperson said, per CBS. “The employee has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.”
Harris’ campaign directed the outlet to the vice president’s office. That office again said that it has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct.
Axios also received the same statement from the vice president’s office. Its report said senior officials in the office were alerted to the incident by the Secret Service, per an email sent to the outlet.
According to its website, the Secret Service is one of the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agencies. It was created in 1865 as a bureau of the Treasury Department to target widespread counterfeiting. In 1901, after an assassination attempt of President William McKinley, the Secret Service was tasked with full time protection of the president, and that role has expanded over the past 123 years.
This summer, the agency faced criticism after Trump – who is running as the GOP candidate against Harris – narrowly survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pa. His ear was injured during the attempt and the 20-year-old gunman also shot and killed one man and injured others.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers announced Wednesday the release of an interim report on the U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) security planning, communications and coordination failures related to the July 13 incident. This report indicated issues with clearly defining responsibilities, a failure to provide resources and more.
Following the July attempt, former Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle resigned and other members of the agency were put on leave. Earlier this month, the Secret Service managed to engage and stop a second assassination attempt at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Ronald Rowe, acting director of the Secret Service, said after that incident that the agency needs a “paradigm shift” and explained that they need to move from a “reactive” model to a “readiness” model.