Secret Service Agents Who Allegedly Drunk Drove and Crashed into White House Barrier Being Investigated
The Department of Homeland Security has begun an investigation into two Secret Service agents who allegedly drove drunk and crashed into a White House barrier. This is the latest in a series of issues with the agents protecting President Barack Obama.
The two high-ranking agents allegedly drove a government-issued car drunk at around 10:30 p.m. on March 4, according to the Washington Post, which broke the story. The agents had been partying and then responded to an emergency at the White House.
Identified as Mark Connolly, the second-in-command on Obama's detail, and George Ogilvie, a senior supervisor in the Washington field office, the men have been given "non-supervisory, non-operational assignments" but have not been put on administrative leave.
The DHS inspector general is taking over the investigation under orders of the Secret Service's new director, James P. Clancy.
"If misconduct is identified, appropriate action will be taken based on established rules and regulations," said the agency's spokesperson Brian Leary, adding they "will fully cooperate" with the investigation.
The president has also been notified of the incident as well as congressmen.
The incident began when officers at the White House responded to a suspicious package. Connolly and Ogilvie responded after having partied in Georgetown and arrived at the scene inebriated. After trying to enter the cordoned-off scene, they crashed into a barricade set up by agents.
Though the officers on duty wanted to arrest the men and conduct field sobriety tests, the commanding officer on duty allowed them to go home.
According to CNN, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, was informed ahead of the release of the Washington Post article.
"Drinking on the job isn't good at McDonald's, and it certainly isn't good if you work for the Secret Service," he said, adding the committee will continue investigating the Secret Service.
Rep. Chaffetz and the committee's leading Democrat, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., released a joint statement on the allegations.
"Although recent steps have been made to bring new leadership in at the highest levels, this incident begs the question of whether that is enough," they said. "The fact that this event involved senior-level agents is not only embarrassing but exhibits a clear lack of judgment in a potentially dangerous situation."
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