Goodlatte on IG Report: Secret Service Must Crack Down on Misconduct

Washington, D.C. – The Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General today issued a report on the events of March 4, 2015 in which two Secret Service agents suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol disrupted an active bomb investigation at the White House Complex. In its report, the IG concludes that it was more likely than not that the two agents’ judgment was impaired by alcohol, noting that the two agents had just spent the last five hours in a bar and one of the agents ran up a significant bar tab. The report also found that those involved with the situation – the watch commander who initially stopped the two agents, various superiors, and the agents themselves – failed to appropriately report the situation, and that the two agents were permitted to drive home in government vehicles. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the following statement on this IG report: “Not only did the two Secret Service agents endanger their own lives and innocent civilians by choosing to drink and drive, their poor judgement also imperiled the entire White House complex by bumbling into an active bomb investigation. Secret Service leadership must send the strong message to agency employees that there will be consequences for such bad behavior and lack of common sense. Additionally, they also need to make clear that employees are required to report misconduct to the appropriate authorities at the agency.  While the Inspector General’s report notes that some of these issues have been addressed since the March 4^th incident, more must be done. “The House Judiciary Committee has conducted aggressive oversight of the United States Secret Service and will continue to do so. Additionally, I and other members of the Committee have introduced bipartisan legislation that reforms the United States Secret Service. It’s imperative that the Secret Service protect the President, White House personnel, and innocent civilians from threats from outside entities and from within the agency itself.” Background: In March, Chairman Goodlatte, Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.), Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.), and Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas)  introduced the Secret Service Improvements Act of2015 (H.R. 1656) to reform the United States Secret Service. The bill strengthens the security of the President, protectees, and the White House complex; enhances Secret Service agents’ training; and improves transparency and accountability at the agency. Additionally, the House Judiciary Committee held an oversight hearing on the United States Secret Service in November 2014.