U.S. Secret Service & Scandal
It is imperative, as part of our sworn duties, to always act both personally and professionally in a manner that recognizes the seriousness and consequence of our mission. ~ Mark Sullivan, Director, U.S. Secret Service
I tell him, ‘Baby, my cash money!’ ~ unnamed Colombian prostitute in a dispute with a Secret Service agent
"Should the shit hit the fan, you grab the President's left arm and I'll grab his right and we shove him with all our might into that doorway over there, got it?" the Secret Service agent instructed me as President Bill Clinton was about to complete inspection of a Vietnamese military honor guard at the ornate French colonial presidential palace in Hanoi on Nov. 16, 2000.
At the time, I was a Foreign Service officer serving as chief of political affairs at our embassy in Vietnam. During an advance team planning meeting, the Secret Service special agent in charge issued me a special access pin giving me virtually unhindered access to the president and First Family, essentially deputizing me as an auxiliary member of the commander-in-chief's protective detail. I was selected because of my command of Vietnamese, knowledge of the city, physical fitness and having been certified as expert with a 9mm pistol. I was not, however, issued a firearm, nor one of those curly-wired earphone devices nor even sunglasses. I was taken on as someone who could make the Secret Service's job go a bit more smoothly. It's an experience I'll proudly relate to my grandchildren one day (if I ever have any).
The salacious story about eleven U.S. Secret Service agents and eleven military personnel engaging prostitutes two days before President Obama's arrival in Cartagena, Colombia for the sixth Summit of the Americas casts profound shame on the United States. Personally, as one who has worked closely with the Secret Service, I find it deeply saddening. My dealings with Secret Service agents during my quarter century of government service always impressed me that these were the cream of the cream, exceptionally dedicated and skilled professionals entrusted with the safety of the president and others whom they protected.
Thus far, six Secret Service agents are being forced out. Two are supervisors and three are counter-assault team members. Five others are under investigation, as are eleven members of U.S. military services. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, patronizing prostitutes is a crime for military personnel. It is also prohibited by regulation for members of the U.S. Foreign Service. The Secret Service's code of conduct prohibits immoral conduct without being more specific.
Rules on personal conduct, however, are almost beside the point. Two other considerations are more paramount: security and image. By bringing uncleared persons (in this case, Colombian prostitutes) into their hotel rooms, agents not only endangered themselves, but by leaving their IDs, badges, guns and possibly schedules of presidential movements in the open, they also endangered the president. They opened the door as well to possible blackmail. The "honey trap" is one of the oldest espionage lures in the books. Those who work in national security with top secret clearances are trained to be vigilant against hostile players such as foreign intelligence services and terrorist groups who seek to compromise U.S. officials.
As for image, all Americans who are entrusted with serving their country abroad have a special unspoken responsibility to show the United States in the best possible light by dint of their professionalism and personal comportment. Visiting strip clubs and engaging whores two days prior to a visit by the U.S. president, needless to say, does the exact opposite. Furthermore, the supervisor who put up a photo on his Facebook page of himself on a Sarah Palin protective detail with the caption, "I was really checking her out, if you know what i mean?" is at least guilty of terminal stupidity.
“I’m just shocked this happened. We were instructed never to party — even on our own time,” said Bill Holland, who worked as a uniformed division officer. This sentiment reflects that of the vast majority of the 3,500 agents and 1,400 uniformed officers of the U.S. Secret Service. The Cartagena incident follows the November 2009 fiasco when several agents allowed two uninvited guests onto White House grounds for a state dinner and photo shot with the president. The so-called "Gate-crasher" incident led to three agents being placed on administrative leave. The Service does not need more of this kind of publicity. Its mission is to carry out its dual duties of VIP protection and investigating financial crimes without fanfare or controversy.
Ronald Kessler, author of the book In The President's Secret Service and a critic of the director, said the incident "is a symptom of the corner cutting and laxness that has been going on under Director Sullivan." The Service is being burdened with more duties without adequate resources to support those added duties. Cutback on overtime pay and lack of concern over agents' personal lives have led to difficulties in staff retention and recruitment. “Most of the time they’re so exhausted they don’t even have a home life,” Kessler said.
Clearly, Congress needs to take a broader look at the Secret Service, beyond this scandal. A thorough review of management, training and resources is glaringly needed with an eye toward reform so that those responsible for protecting our leaders can do their job efficiently and with the knowledge that they have the full support of the American people.