President Obama flew to Colombia today to participate in the Summit of Americas. His focus will be on strengthening the relationship between the U.S. and Central and South Americas; this will involved increasing trade, coordination between countries etc. But right before the Summit was to convene this weekend…a scandal is rocking the United States Secret Service.
USA Today has the story:
A dozen Secret Service agents with President Obama at an international summit have been relieved of duty because of allegations of misconduct.
The Associated Press received an anonymous tip that the misconduct involved prostitutes in Cartagena, Colombia, the site of the Summit of the Americas. A Secret Service spokesman would neither confirm nor deny the allegation.
A U.S. official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter and requested anonymity, put the number of agents at 12. The agency was not releasing the number of personnel involved.
MSNBC says:
Donovan said the allegations of misconduct were related to activity before the president’s arrival on Friday night.
Obama was attending a leaders’ dinner Friday night at Cartagena’s historic Spanish fortress.
The agents involved had been sent back to their permanent place of duty and were being replaced by other agency personnel, Donovan said. The matter was turned over to the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility, which handles the agency’s internal affairs.
“These personnel changes will not affect the comprehensive security plan that has been prepared in advance of the president’s trip,” Donovan said.
