Goodlatte Statement on Meeting with Secret Service Director Clancy

Washington, D.C.  – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the following statement after meeting with U.S. Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy to discuss the recent Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General’s report detailing Secret Service personnel’s inappropriate access to the personal information of House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), which was a violation of federal law: “Today I met with Director Clancy to discuss the inappropriate behavior of a number of Secret Service personnel as detailed in the recent Inspector General’s report.  I find the blatant disregard for Department policy and federal law completely unacceptable, especially from Secret Service personnel who are charged with protecting and upholding our nation’s laws. “In our meeting, I once again expressed my deep concern over the actions of those Secret Service personnel who illegally accessed and disseminated the personal information of Chairman Chaffetz and I expect the agency to hold these employees accountable.  Director Clancy agreed that these individuals should face disciplinary action and he reiterated his commitment to making necessary improvements at the agency to rein in abuses and ensure that incidents like this one never happen again.  I will continue to closely monitor this situation to ensure that this is the case.”Background: Following the release of the Inspector General’s report, Chairman Goodlatte sent a letter to Director Clancy expressing concern over Secret Service personnel’s inappropriate access to personal information of Chairman Chaffetz, which was a violation of the Privacy Act.