As a result of last month’s investigation, the U.S. Secret Service has placed at least five agents on leave, including the head of the Pittsburgh field office. Attempted assassination against former President Donald Trump, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Those placed on leave include an agent on Trump’s profile and three others in the Pittsburgh office, according to two federal law enforcement sources. It’s unclear whether all of these actions are ethical, as agents are routinely placed on leave during investigations for a variety of reasons, including psychiatric relief.
The Secret Service’s Internal Affairs Division continues to investigate how a 20-year-old gunman fired eight rounds from a rooftop near where Trump was speaking in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, including one shot that hit the Republican presidential candidate. the ear
Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Secret Service, declined to confirm the agents had been placed on leave, saying he did not comment on a private matter. But he said the service’s “mission assurance review is progressing and we are investigating the processes, procedures and factors that led to this operational failure.”
He added that the Secret Service “holds our personnel to the highest professional standards, and any identified and proven violations of policy will be investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility for possible disciplinary action.”
In terms of disciplinary action, there are different levels according to an officer’s conduct. When Secret Service personnel are placed on administrative leave for disciplinary reasons, they still collect their paychecks and report to the office. They are usually assigned paperwork or other administrative duties instead of performing their regular day-to-day roles.
Beyond administrative leave, further disciplined officers may be suspended or suspended without pay, the latter usually revoking their security clearance. Not so in this case.
A man, a Pennsylvania father and firefighter Cory ComparadorTrump was shot at a rally. Two other spectators were seriously injured. The gunman was killed by a Secret Service sniper standing behind a stage where Trump was speaking.
Kimberly Seittle, director of the Secret Service at the time, faced blistering questions from members of Congress. she He eventually resigned After refusing to provide details about the investigation into the shooting and the service’s response. He was replaced by Acting Director Ronald Rowe told the senators He was “embarrassed” by the assassination attempt and vowed to investigate the failures that allowed the gunman to open fire.
The Congress is also investigating the incident and the Secret Service’s handling of the rally. The House has convened a task force on the assassination attempt, and senators have requested records from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Members of relevant congressional committees – starting with the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs – have been briefed on the activities of the US Secret Service.
Trump Conducted his first outdoor rally Since the shooting this week, he has been surrounded by bulletproof glass as a safety precaution.
Pat Milton
