The U.S. Secret Service has announced that one of the security officers assigned to protect Vice President J.D. Vance has been removed from duty and is under investigation for allegedly disclosing sensitive information.
According to NBC News, Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service, said in a statement that a member of the vice president’s protection unit is facing an administrative investigation, with the possibility of criminal proceedings, over allegations related to compromising operational security and sensitive information.
The Secret Service spokesperson added: “While we will not comment on the specifics of this matter, one principle is absolutely clear: any conduct that could potentially endanger the safety of a protectee will not be tolerated.”
The office of Vice President J.D. Vance has not commented on the matter.
The report was first published by CNN. Sources familiar with the case told the network that the member of Vance’s protection unit is suspected of leaking information used in an MS NOW report about J.D. Vance’s travel habits.
The MS NOW report stated that some U.S. Secret Service agents had raised concerns about Vice President J.D. Vance’s travel practices.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, the outlet reported that agents within the Secret Service had expressed concerns about requests for certain trips and assignments, which some personnel believe may amount to an inappropriate use of government resources.
The Trump administration has taken a strict stance against the leaking of information to journalists. The latest example was the issuance of subpoenas to New York Times reporters who had prepared a report on security concerns related to the new “Air Force One” aircraft.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
