Three Secret Service officers who let a gate-crashing couple through a checkpoint at last week’s White House state dinner have been placed on administrative leave, and could face unspecified disciplinary actions, the agency’s director said.
The House Homeland Security Committee is also preparing to issue a subpoena to Tareq and Michaele Salahi, though the panel shot down a Republican attempt to subpoena White House social secretary Desiree Rogers. The committee has never issued a subpoena in its short history but the chairman, addressing the Salahis’ empty chairs after they refused to testify before his committee Thursday, set in motion a process that could result in a committee vote as early as next week.
Republicans blame Rogers, who has been prevented from appearing before the committee by White House officials, for failing to help agents identify the Salahis as gate crashers not on the approved guest list.
But Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan said the only mistakes made were by his agents and vowed to take “appropriate actions” against them following an internal probe. "I take responsibility," Sullivan told the committee, which was critical of the agency for allowing potentially dangerous interlopers into a dinner that included Obama, the prime minister of India and dozens of dignitaries. "Pure and simple, this is a human error,” he added. “We could have had the best technology. But that still would not have prevented this from happening."
The White House blocked the committee from calling Rogers to the witness table, citing the separation of powers doctrine. Representative Peter King of New York, the ranking Republican on the panel, has blasted the decision as “stonewalling” and vowed to keep pushing for her appearance.
Committee members pelted the stoic Sullivan with repeated questions about protocol at the dinner, saying they had never seen White House events where Secret Service agents were left to screen guests without the presence of social office or legislative affairs staff present. Sullivan said he met with staffers from the White House social secretary's office before the event and all parties agreed to use a Secret Service-only picket around 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., a decision that led to the admission of gate crashers. "It was a joint recommendation," said Sullivan. Later, he backtracked a bit, saying he wasn't sure who initiated the suggestion. Asked if the presence of an Obama aide would have prevented the Salahis from entering, Sullivan replied, "It would have been helpful."
But committee members from both parties were skeptical. "I've never seen this instance before... I have never just seen a Secret Service agent, particularly ith so many important people waiting in line... Why did you agree that no person from the White House would be there?" asked Representative Loretta Sanchez of California. "I don't think visiting the White House ought to be like shopping in a big box retail store on the day after Thanksgiving," said Representative Jane Harman of California. Representative Dan Lungren of California said it was "inconceivable" Sullivan had agreed to keep White House staffers from the checkpoint.
04 December 2009
Oops is now a Secret Service term
Rico says you can't screw around with the security of the presidency, and three officers are now paying the price, according to this article on Politico by Glenn Thrush and Jake Sherman:
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