More Secret Service exits expected
Washington (CNN) — Two Secret Service supervisors who have lost their jobs in a prostitute scandal during a recent trip to Colombia are David Chaney and Greg Stokes, a source familiar with the investigation told CNN National Security Contributor Fran Townsend on Thursday.
They are among three people no longer with the agency in the wake of the incident immediately preceding President Barack Obama’s trip to Colombia for the Summit of the Americas, and among 11 total Secret Service employees who are under investigation.
Attorney Lawrence Berger told CNN that he is representing Chaney and Stokes, but declined further comment — including why he is representing the two men.
Authorities outside Chaney’s home in Ashburn, Virginia, said that Chaney had relayed that he did not want to speak to reporters outside.
Secret Service pushing out 3 members amid Colombia scandal
The agency has said that one of those who left the agency is a supervisory employee who is being allowed to retire. Another employee resigned, the agency said. A third agent — also a supervisory employee — is being pushed out, with the agency proposing he be removed. A U.S. official said on condition of not being identified that this agent plans to fight his ouster. It was not immediately clear if this person was Chaney or Stokes.
House homeland security chairman Rep. Peter King told CNN on Thursday that he expects more Secret Service employees to leave the agency as soon as Friday.
The other eight members allegedly involved in the scandal are on administrative leave and have had their security clearances suspended, according to the Secret Service. Ten military personnel are also being probed for their possible participation in the incident.
Questions raised about macho culture, women agents
They were all part of the “jump team” that flies in on military transport planes with the presidential limousine and other vehicles to be used in the president’s motorcade, Townsend said.
They arrived the morning of the incident, raising questions about whether the activity was planned in advance.
All the employees are accused of bringing prostitutes to Cartagena’s Hotel El Caribe ahead of last week’s visit by Obama, who was there to attend the Pan-American summit.
According to sources, the alleged prostitutes — the youngest of whom were in their early 20s — had all signed in at the hotel, where the Secret Service members apparently stayed, flashing their local ID cards.
One of these women allegedly was later involved in a dispute about how much she was to be paid for the night. That row brought the entire incident to light and sparked controversy in both the United States and Colombia.
CNN’s Brian Todd, Bob Kovach, John King, Barbara Starr, Rafael Romo, Jessica Yellin and Tom Cohen contributed to this report.
Share this on:
Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/19/us/secret-service/index.html?eref=edition