3 Secret Service officials placed on leave amid misconduct investigation
By Holmes Lybrand, CNN
(CNN) — Three Secret Service officials, including the agency’s director of communications, have been placed on leave as an investigation into potential misconduct unfolds, a source familiar with the decision told CNN. The nature of the alleged misconduct was not immediately clear.
All three officials, including comms chief Anthony Guglielmi, have lost their security clearances and access to their work devices, the source told CNN, adding that such practice is common during internal investigations. They each work in the agency’s communications office, the source said.
The Secret Service confirmed to CNN that three people have been put on leave but did not include the names of the individuals. The agency also did not specify the nature of the alleged misconduct.
“Three non-law enforcement personnel at the U.S. Secret Service have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into potential misconduct,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. “Per policy, this incident is being investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility. We are unable to comment further at this time.”
The statement continued: “The U.S. Secret Service is committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in fulfilling our zero-fail mission of protecting the President and other high-level government officials. Our critical work demands that our workforce maintain an unwavering commitment to duty, honesty, and courage in all aspects of their jobs. We will continue to pursue the level of excellence that is worthy of the mission which has been entrusted to us by the American people.”
A spokesperson for Guglielmi told CNN in a statement that the communications director “is a professional of deep integrity whose decades-long public record advocating for local, state and federal agencies speaks for itself.”
“He holds profound respect for the mission and work of the United States Secret Service and is cooperating fully with everything being asked of him,” the spokesperson, Gregg Bernstein, a Maryland attorney who previously served as the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, added.
The investigation comes as the agency has been under intense scrutiny over the past several years — as Trump has faced several assassination plots, as well as more recent reports over a secret maneuver to spirit President Donald Trump safely away from Turkey this summer.
Some in the agency were questioned in a leak investigation when reports first came out that Trump did not take the Qatari-gifted plane out of Turkey because of possible threats from Iran. FBI Director Kash Patel helped stand up the initial leak probe from inside the White House.
Also this summer, a Secret Service agent on Vice President JD Vance’s detail was put on leave after investigators suspected the agent leaked information around Vance’s travel. The investigation remains ongoing.
Guglielmi was the director of communications for some of the most harrowing moments for the agency in recent memory, including several attempted assassinations of Trump, one of which – in Butler, Pennsylvania – led to the resignation of the agency’s director and dramatic shifts to the agency writ large.
Guglielmi also served as communication head for the Chicago and Baltimore Police during significant times of civil upheaval.
CNN’s Sean Lyngaas contributed to this report.
This story was updated to include a comment from a representative for Guglielmi.
The-CNN-Wire
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