Washington—Three U.S. Secret Service officials have been
removed from their posts and temporarily barred from agency facilities amid an
investigation into the possible leak of sensitive information to the media.
According to sources cited by RealClearPolitics, the three
employees were escorted out of Secret Service headquarters in Washington on
Monday and subsequently placed on “do not admit” status, a measure that prevents
them from re-entering the facility while the investigation proceeds.
The officials work in the agency's communications division.
Among them is Anthony Guglielmi, Director of Communications and one of the
Secret Service's top spokespeople. The three have also reportedly lost their
security clearances and access to official devices.
The report published by RealClearPolitics indicates that the
investigation seeks to determine how classified or sensitive information ended
up in the hands of journalists. One of the sources also indicated that the FBI
and the CIA are involved in the investigation, which would elevate the scope of
the case beyond an internal administrative review.
The Secret Service, however, has been more reserved. The
agency confirmed that three employees who did not perform law enforcement
duties were placed on administrative leave while its Office of Professional
Responsibility investigates possible misconduct, but it did not publicly
confirm whether the case is related to classified leaks or the involvement of
other federal agencies.
One of the incidents that could be under scrutiny is the
leak of information related to President Donald Trump's secret transfer during
his departure from Turkey, after reports surfaced of a threat against Air Force
One. However, it has not yet been publicly established that this incident is
the origin of the current investigation.
The investigation comes at a particularly sensitive time for
the Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting the president and other
high-ranking U.S. officials. The agency itself has stated that it maintains a
zero-tolerance policy toward conduct that could compromise the safety of those
under its protection.