Multiple personnel from the Secret Service were assigned administrative tasks after an attempt on former President Trump's life.
The situation has led to the Secret Service facing severe scrutiny due to the security lapses that led an assailant to discharge eight bullets at the ex-president in Butler, Pennsylvania, hitting Trump's ear and causing the demise of one attendee.
Elected officials have been pushing for consequences against the individuals responsible for organizing the event. Acting Deputy Director Ronald Rowe had stated his intention to wait until the completion of the investigation before handing out any disciplinary measures.
The agency is currently undergoing various investigations, including an internal review, congressional probes, and a commission specifically established by the Department of Homeland Security.
Rowe admitted to journalists during a press conference earlier this month that this was a blunder by the Secret Service – a stark contrast to their previous stance blaming locals for neglecting to monitor the potential assassin, Thomas Crooks. "That area should have been secured," he stated.
Anthony Guglielmi, the Chief of Communications for the U.S. Secret Service, revealed in a statement on Friday, "The U.S. Secret Service is dedicated to investigating the actions and decisions of the personnel involved in the Pennsylvania event and the attempted assassination of ex-President Donald Trump. Our mission assurance review is underway, and we are examining the factors, procedures, and regulations that led to this operational error."
Guglielmi continued, "We hold our personnel to the highest professional expectations. Any policies that are found to have been breached will be investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility for potential disciplinary measures. However, given the nature of this being a personnel issue, we are unable to provide further comments."
Reporting contributed by Zachary Cohen from CNN.
Politicians are calling for accountability from those responsible for organizing the event where Trump was attacked. Amidst the ongoing investigations into the security lapses, politics surrounding the incident are starting to emerge.
