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| Napolitano condemns secret service behaviour as 'inexcusable' but isolated | Napolitano condemns secret service behaviour as 'inexcusable' but isolated |
| (12 months later) | |
| Janet Napolitano, the homeland security secretary, has said the prostitution scandal involving a dozen secret service agents at a Colombia hotel was "inexcusable" but said she believed it to be an isolated occurrence. | Janet Napolitano, the homeland security secretary, has said the prostitution scandal involving a dozen secret service agents at a Colombia hotel was "inexcusable" but said she believed it to be an isolated occurrence. |
| Napolitano, facing questions on Wednesday from the Senate judiciary committee for the first time since the story broke, said the agency's office of professional responsibility had not found any complaints over the past two and a half years, but was still looking back into its records. | Napolitano, facing questions on Wednesday from the Senate judiciary committee for the first time since the story broke, said the agency's office of professional responsibility had not found any complaints over the past two and a half years, but was still looking back into its records. |
| "This behaviour was not part of the secret service way of doing business," Napolitano testified. "We are going to make sure that standards and training, if they need to be tightened up they are tightened." | "This behaviour was not part of the secret service way of doing business," Napolitano testified. "We are going to make sure that standards and training, if they need to be tightened up they are tightened." |
| Nine secret service personnel, including two supervisors, have left the agency as a result of the investigation and three have been cleared of serious wrongdoing. | Nine secret service personnel, including two supervisors, have left the agency as a result of the investigation and three have been cleared of serious wrongdoing. |
| "All 12 … have either faced personnel action or been cleared of serious misconduct," Napolitano said. "We will not allow the actions of a few to tarnish the proud legacy of the secret service." | "All 12 … have either faced personnel action or been cleared of serious misconduct," Napolitano said. "We will not allow the actions of a few to tarnish the proud legacy of the secret service." |
| The White House said on Wednesday that the conduct of the employees punished in the ongoing scandal was "inappropriate" and unacceptable for people representing the United States abroad. | The White House said on Wednesday that the conduct of the employees punished in the ongoing scandal was "inappropriate" and unacceptable for people representing the United States abroad. |
| At the hearing, committee chairman Senator Patrick Leahy, praised the secret service as "wise, very professional men and women", and called it shocking that so many of the agency's employees were involved in the scandal. | At the hearing, committee chairman Senator Patrick Leahy, praised the secret service as "wise, very professional men and women", and called it shocking that so many of the agency's employees were involved in the scandal. |
| Napolitano faced questions over whether the training stretched to having intimate relations with foreign nationals and whether there was confusion over what was acceptable. | Napolitano faced questions over whether the training stretched to having intimate relations with foreign nationals and whether there was confusion over what was acceptable. |
| Two reports published on Wednesday have suggested that the investigation has hit a snag over what is expected of agents on foreign trips. | Two reports published on Wednesday have suggested that the investigation has hit a snag over what is expected of agents on foreign trips. |
| When asked by Leahy if agents are specifically trained on issues related to having intimate relationships with foreign nationals, she said the training is "focused on professionalism, on conduct consistent of the highest moral standards". | When asked by Leahy if agents are specifically trained on issues related to having intimate relationships with foreign nationals, she said the training is "focused on professionalism, on conduct consistent of the highest moral standards". |
| Senator Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, asked her: "Were they confused that their conduct was wrong?" | Senator Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, asked her: "Were they confused that their conduct was wrong?" |
| Napolitano replied: "They should not have been." | Napolitano replied: "They should not have been." |
| Graham told her "sometimes organisations can get loose" and asked her whether the agency sent supervisors into the field unexpectedly to keep discipline. | Graham told her "sometimes organisations can get loose" and asked her whether the agency sent supervisors into the field unexpectedly to keep discipline. |
| She replied that they were looking into such questions. Her main concerns were threefold, she said, whether the president's security was ever at risk, prompt discipline for those involved and a review of training to see "what if anything needs tightening up" to make sure this behaviour didn't happen again. | She replied that they were looking into such questions. Her main concerns were threefold, she said, whether the president's security was ever at risk, prompt discipline for those involved and a review of training to see "what if anything needs tightening up" to make sure this behaviour didn't happen again. |
| Graham pressed Napolitano about whether she believes this was the first incident involving prostitutes and the secret service. | Graham pressed Napolitano about whether she believes this was the first incident involving prostitutes and the secret service. |
| "The only reason I suggest that we need to maybe look at little harder is because we're lucky to have found out about this. If there hadn't been an argument between one of the agents and, I guess, a prostitute, for lack of a better word, about money, we'd probably have never known about this." | "The only reason I suggest that we need to maybe look at little harder is because we're lucky to have found out about this. If there hadn't been an argument between one of the agents and, I guess, a prostitute, for lack of a better word, about money, we'd probably have never known about this." |
| Napolitano said while she is not aware of a broader culture problem at the secret service, director Mark Sullivan and his investigators are looking into it. | Napolitano said while she is not aware of a broader culture problem at the secret service, director Mark Sullivan and his investigators are looking into it. |
| "What the director is doing is reviewing training, supervision, going back and talking to other agents, really trying to ferret out if this is a systemic problem," Napolitano said. "If it is, that would be a surprise to me." | "What the director is doing is reviewing training, supervision, going back and talking to other agents, really trying to ferret out if this is a systemic problem," Napolitano said. "If it is, that would be a surprise to me." |
| A report in the New York Times, which said that not all of the women involved in the Colombia incident were prostitutes, suggested that secret service rules of conduct do not appear to clearly address the issue of whether single employees can spend the night with someone else in a foreign country. | A report in the New York Times, which said that not all of the women involved in the Colombia incident were prostitutes, suggested that secret service rules of conduct do not appear to clearly address the issue of whether single employees can spend the night with someone else in a foreign country. |
| Some agents accused of misconduct have complained that their conduct did not warrant dismissal because senior managers tolerated similar behaviour on official trips in the past, according to the Washington Post. The newspaper also reported that some agents who have been dismissed were preparing to fight for their jobs. | Some agents accused of misconduct have complained that their conduct did not warrant dismissal because senior managers tolerated similar behaviour on official trips in the past, according to the Washington Post. The newspaper also reported that some agents who have been dismissed were preparing to fight for their jobs. |
| When contacted by the Guardian, Lawrence Berger, the lawyer for some of the agents, was not immediately available for comment. | When contacted by the Guardian, Lawrence Berger, the lawyer for some of the agents, was not immediately available for comment. |
| Napolitano described a posting on Facebook by former agent and supervisor David Chaney, who was fired as a result of the investigation into the incident in Colombia, in which he claimed to be checking out Sarah Palin was "unacceptable and unprofessional" and told the committee that the agency had rules on social media. | Napolitano described a posting on Facebook by former agent and supervisor David Chaney, who was fired as a result of the investigation into the incident in Colombia, in which he claimed to be checking out Sarah Palin was "unacceptable and unprofessional" and told the committee that the agency had rules on social media. |
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