The Secret Service is an “agency in crisis”, according to a damning new House Oversight and Government Reform Committee report that slammed the organization.
There have been 143 security breaches or attempted breaches at facilities secured by the Secret Service in the last 10 years, including the agency letting armed, unchecked contractors dangerously close to the president.
The committee concluded in a report released Thursday that the Secret Service is in turmoil after a series of high-profile embarrassments over several years, including a South American prostitution scandal and multiple security breaches involving he White House. The report faults both leadership failings within the agency and budget cuts have led to what the committee concluded was a “staffing crisis.”
The committee is chaired by Utah Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz and has been investigating the agency since details of the April 2012 prostitution scandal became public. Three directors have led the Secret Service in the last three years and multiple agents and officers, including senior officials, have been fired, transferred or disciplined in the last several years as details of scandals and security breaches have become public.
“This report reveals that the Secret Service is in crisis,” Chaffetz said. “Morale is down, attrition is up, misconduct continues and security breaches persist. Strong leadership from the top is required to fix the systemic mismanagement within the agency and to restore it to its former prestige.”
Most recently it was revealed that dozens of agents used a secure government database to view Chaffetz’s decade-old, unsuccessful job application starting 18 minutes after the start of hearing focused on another scandal involving allegations of drunken driving involving two senior officials.
The yearlong investigation also found new information about past scandals, including the Colombia prostitution case.
The report said that the Secret Service’s own investigation of that incident uncovered multiple emails sent between agents and officers discussing the trip and eluded to plans to enjoy their surroundings. One email described the motto of the trip as “una mas cerveza por favor,” or one more beer please. Another listed a check-list of things an agent planned to bring, including “swag cologne,” ”pimp gear” and cash for prostitutes.
The committee also found that agents failed to properly vet multiple armed security guards who were near President Barack Obama during a September 2014 visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. During that trip Obama rode an elevator with an armed contractor who had not been vetted.
Then-Director Julia Pierson was fired after details of that incident were published by The Washington Post.
The 438-page report also found that the agency is understaffed and agents and officers are overworked.
The committee said the agency’s staffing crisis started in 2011. The agency has fewer employees today than a year ago, despite recommendations from an independent panel that staffing be increased.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
Why increase for now? We don’t need an increase. We need them to take care of business to free America.
I agree we need a better class of criminal. I was just thinking if there was an election between the politicians and the criminals wh attempt the white house fence jumping, the jumpers would win hands down.
The Secret Service needs to turn in their guns. According to Obama, guns are the cause of all violence.
With the current administration in place, the secret service are working way too hard.
Matt: You are so right, they are doing their job too well. Of course, there are more of them now, to protect the Anti-America Traitor in the Presidents Office.
Just to get your brain in gear, have you wondered why everything our President says is degrading or blaming someone or group for the bad in this world. If you look at the record, before Obummer there was less of the race hate and killing by both sides and now he has used his Muslin beliefs to try and distroy our freedoms and America. Check it out he is the worst President in history by far.
As far as I’m concerned the Secret Service is doing too good of a job. No one has gotten to Obama. He is still here trying to destroy our country. A Muslim Traitor in the White House that has made the Guinness Book of Records.
Obama owns and operates the secret service making them our enemy and the senate is on them to support obama and clinton owns them for she knows all that have supported her treason of the united states
Who cares? Most Americans would be in joyous celebration. I would attend burial.
I would pee on the grave!
We need to protect our president about as much as he is protecting the country. I would’ve waste a dime on protecting that muslin scum bag.
The Secret Service is staffed by people with no moral convictions. This is a fruit of the God-free society that liberals have sought for a long time. Once you remove the biblical standard of right and wrong you are left with a shifting standard based on popular opinion, social engineering and whimsy.
The Secret Service employees represent the values of society as a whole. Maybe we need to be concerned about the values of the society which produces the agents.
I cannot say I’m surprised. I don’t think it’s all the Secret Service’s fault either. I have a feeling, based on reports of Staff Leaving Obama’s White House …. that moral is just at an all time low…
Side Note: It will even be worse with Hillary or Bernie … trust me.
I can understand the drinking and sex and such. Understand, that when I say “I understand” that does mean or equate that I agree with it. I do not.
But you signed up to do a “Great Job” and find your boss, Obama is a literal A hole. You see the man you are suppose to protect taking the Nation you are sworn to protect going down hill by this President. Yet you are sworn to SECRECY. I mean we do not even know his Gold Handicap for crying out loud. That is how insecure this Obama is. He is a crappy golfer and even that has to be kept TOP SECRET / CLASSIFIED.
So I understand and I actually feel very bad for them .. they are between a very serious “Rock & Hard Place”.
Kudos to all the comments. My only comment is that I couldn’t have said it better myself. I had to laugh when I read the article because my first thought was, DUH!!!
IF THE SECRET SERVICE IS SOOOO BAD WHY IS OUR INCOMPETENT, ILLEGAL PREZ STILL ALIVE THEN?
I say too bad the secret service is doing their job in protecting Obama the traitor/imposter & hater of America.. He should be IMPEACHED for all his blunders & stupidity..
If the Secret Service took it’s oath to protect both the Constitution and the President, seriously; they would have put Obama in a padded cell long ago.
I hope the Secret Service fails to protect Obama and Hillary.
Nothing wrong with our socialistic values or our SS.
How many of you would take a round for this P.O.S. Muzzy Mutt??? (Crickets), that’s what I thought!
Party on Guys,
Maybe some day, someone will get by you and do the U.S.of A. a favor.
Can’t be too soon! The perp would be a bigger HERO than the founder of our Country! What Jury of Patriots would convict?
Can’t wait to throw a Burnt Pork Chop and a pound of Rotting Bacon on his f’n grave…..CIC ……not even funny anymore. More like Chimp in charge, but that would be insulting to Chimps.
What this country needs is a good, old fashioned assassination. That hasn’t happened for decades, so how can anybody say the secret service hasn’t been doing their jobs?