Just when you thought it was safe to hop back on the motorcade…
A member of the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service has been placed on administrative leave and had his security clearance suspended after being arrested Friday. The agent has been charged with misdemeanor destruction of property.
We don’t have any specifics yet, but according to U.S. Secret Service Spokesman Brian Leary, the Secret Service’s “Office of Professional Responsibility will investigate this matter.”
The fact that the Secret Service released this (lack of) information tells me one thing: they’re not taking any chances with the possibility that the media will try to pin another “transparency” scandal on the agency. Between the Colombian prostitutes, the resignations, the drunken romps through investigations (and onto the White House lawn via drone proxy), and the soft targeting of congressmen who are charged with maintaining transparency, it’s clear that the agency really can’t take any more heartache at the hands of its own people.
Oh, and don’t forget about all the sexual harassment:
A female employee accused Xavier Morales, a supervisor within the agency, of assault after he made sexual advances at her, according to The Washington Post.”The woman told police and agency investigators that Morales, her boss, told her during the party at Capitol City Brewing Company that he was in love with her and would like to have sex with her,” and later tried to kiss her in the office, according to a report from The Washington Post.During the incident, he “grabbed her arms when she resisted” and the two tussled until Morales gave up, sources told the paper.The Post reports that the March 31 party was in celebration of Morales’ new assignment as head of the Louisville field office.
Another day, another agent placed on administrative leave with a suspended security clearance for being a complete moron.
Conservatives like to complain about Washington’s culture of corruption/egomania/rampant idiocy, and this is one of those times where the world “culture” is appropriate to describe what’s happening to the Secret Service.
There’s no other explanation. You don’t go from elite private security force to ridiculous gaggle without something encouraging the transition. Director Joseph Clancy has put on a brave face in hearings—he’s even requested a multimillion dollar training facility to address problems on the ground—but all the brave faces in the world can’t change the fact that the agency charged with keeping the President of the United States alive has a serious seriousness problem.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY