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The Secret Service office of professional responsibility is
investigating a misconduct allegation involving an employee,
according to the law enforcement agency that is tasked with
protecting the president, vice president, candidates and some
members of Congress. “The Secret Service holds its personnel to
the highest standards,” according to the statement released
Wednesday.
Harris’ office said in a statement that “we have zero tolerance
for sexual misconduct,” and that the office takes “safety of
staff seriously.”
The agent was on a trip with Harris staff members last week in
Wisconsin to scout possible locations for a visit from the
Democratic presidential nominee when the group went out for
dinner and drinks. The agent, who appeared to be drunk, is
accused of groping the woman in the presence of others after
they went back to the hotel, according to the people who spoke
to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to talk about
an ongoing investigation.
The employee was taken off his detail and placed on
administrative leave pending the results of the investigation,
the Secret Service said.
The news comes as the agency is facing a mountain of criticism
over two attempted assassinations of Republican nominee Donald
Trump. On July 13, Trump suffered a graze wound to his ear when
a shooter targeted him at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A
second failed assassination attempt was made on Sept. 16 at
Trump's golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
A scathing bipartisan congressional report out Wednesday on the
first attempted assassination found that there was no clear
chain of command among the Secret Service and other security
agencies and no plan for coverage of the building where the
shooter positioned himself on the roof to fire the shots in
Butler. The shooter was killed by the Secret Service.
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