Secret Service Report Reveals 143 Breaches

Describing it as an "agency in crisis", the damning report calls for "strong leadership" to help restore its former prestige.

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A critical report on the Secret Service has revealed there have been 143 security breaches or attempted breaches at facilities secured by the agency in the last 10 years.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee found the Secret Service is an "agency in crisis" after a string of high-profile embarrassments, including a prostitution scandal in Colombia and multiple security breaches involving President Barack Obama and the White House.

Leadership failings within the agency and budget cuts imposed by Congress have led to a "staffing crisis", the report found.

The committee, chaired by Utah Republican Jason Chaffetz, has been investigating the agency since details of the April 2012 prostitution scandal became public.

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Image: Representative Jason Chaffetz was smeared by the agency

Three directors have led the agency in the last three years, and multiple agents and officers - including senior officials - have been fired, transferred or disciplined.

Mr Chaffetz said: "This report reveals that the Secret Service is in crisis.

"Morale is down, attrition is up, misconduct continues and security breaches persist.

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"Strong leadership from the top is required to fix the systemic mismanagement within the agency and to restore it to its former prestige."

Representative Elijah Cummings said the report should also serve as a warning to Congress that lawmakers "cannot make some of the biggest budget cuts in the history of the Secret Service and expect no repercussions to the agency's staffing and its critical mission".

Earlier this year, it was revealed that dozens of agents had used a secure government database to view an unsuccessful job application made by Mr Chaffetz to the agency 10 years ago.

The accessing of the application came just minutes after the start of a hearing into allegations of drink driving involving two senior officials within the agency.

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Sept 2014: White House Intrusion
The sequence shows the route taken by White House intruder Omar Gonzales in a September 19 White House security breach.
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    Sept 2014: White House Intrusion

    The year-long investigation also found new details about previous scandals, including the Colombia prostitution.

    It found multiple emails sent between agents and officers, which included reference to the trip motto as "una mas cerveza por favor" - or one more beer please.

    Another included a check-list of things to bring, including "swag cologne", "pimp gear" and cash for prostitutes.

    The report found agents failed to properly vet armed security guards who were near Mr Obama during a September 2014 visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

    Julia Pierson, who was the director at that time, was fired after details of the incident were published by The Washington Post.


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