The U.S. Secret Service confirmed Wednesday that it is investigating allegations that one of its agents sexually assaulted a female staff member from Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.
According to the New York Post, the alleged incident occurred in a hotel room after the male agent dined and drank with Harris campaign staffers at a restaurant in Green Bay, Wisconsin. RealClearPolitics broke the story, citing other individuals present at the meal who reportedly observed the agent’s behavior toward the staffer:
Secret Service agents and Harris staffers had reportedly been drinking over dinner after finishing their work for the day, when they retired to the staffer’s hotel room, the political site reported.
Once in the room, the heavily inebriated agent allegedly tried to force himself on the woman, groping her in full view of the numerous people in the room, according to the report.
Staffers removed the agent from the room, and he was allegedly so drunk that he passed out in the hallway, RealClearPolitics reported.
He was summoned to Secret Service headquarters in Washington, DC, Monday, where he was ordered to meet with agency investigators.
The agent has been placed on administrative leave while the agency conducts its investigation.
This incident comes as the Secret Service faces increased scrutiny following the July 13 assassination attempt on Republican nominee Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania. A gunman, who managed to access a rooftop overlooking the rally, fired at Trump, resulting in the death of one attendee and injuries to three others, including Trump.
The Senate Homeland Security Committee released a report on Wednesday criticizing the Secret Service for unclear roles and responsibilities in securing Trump’s rally, citing a lack of accountability for advance personnel. The gunman was ultimately shot by a Secret Service sniper, but questions remain about the agency’s handling of the event.
In an interview with ABC News, then-Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle stated that snipers weren’t positioned on the roof where the failed presidential assassin fired from because it was sloped and deemed unsafe.
The excuse immediately raised eyebrows, particularly since snipers positioned behind former President Donald Trump during Saturday’s rally were also on a sloped roof.
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Isn’t there a final check done maybe, 1 hour prior to start of the rally to make sure everything is in order such as security checks, i.e., appropriate security personnel are in specific or assigned area(s), radio (commo) check, etc.? … is there ‘any’ standard operating procedure(s) or a safety check Exist prior to start of a rally to ensure the safety of political personnel?