Over the last few months, the Secret Service has been linked to drugs, prostitutes and, you know, having a good ole time on the government’s tab. Job application, please!!!
Now, things have gotten even worse as reports have surfaced that two Secret Service agents were involved in a DUI collision with the White House barrier.
In a report coming from CBS News, on the night of March 4th, a pair of agents were returning from a late-night retirement party for Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan when they rammed through a line of yellow plastic security tape and crashed into a White House barrier. The agents have been identified as Mark Connolly (second in command for the president’s protective detail) and George Ogilvie (a senior supervisor). Both have now been reassigned to desk jobs and stripped of all of their management responsibilities.
This incident, no doubt, comes at a horrible time for the department as they have been working hard to repair their Animal House-esque image, an image that has also impacted their job performance.
In recent months, multiple occurrences have taken place to make everyone question the agency, including an incident of a man scaling the White House fence and running into the White House’s East Room and another incident of an armed man with a criminal record riding in an elevator with the president.
With all of those different scenarios piling up, the reputation of the Secret Service had gotten so bad that Director Julia Pierson was forced to resign earlier this year, allowing the retired Joe Clancy to come in and take over. Obviously, things haven’t gotten much better, though.
Currently, an investigation is being conducted by the Department of Homeland Security with more details to be released soon.
In an interview with CNN, House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz said of the incident, “Drinking on the job isn’t good at McDonald’s and it certainly isn’t good if you work for the Secret Service.”
As far as the investigation is concerned, Chaffetz added, “I know there was an incident and it wasn’t pretty. The details of which we need to have flushed out. Our committee will continue its investigation into the Secret Service and add this on to the list of embarrassments.”