A member of the Secret Service is under investigation after being accused of sexually assaulting a staff member who works for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The incident occurred in the past week during a trip to provide advance security and planning for a campaign event in Green Bay, Wisconsin, which ended up not taking place, RealClear Politics reported Wednesday, citing four sources within the Secret Service community.
Instead of going to Wisconsin, the campaign held an event in Atlanta on Sept. 20.
The agent and several Harris staffers were dining and drinking alcohol at a local restaurant. The group went back to the Harris staffer's hotel room when the agent allegedly forced himself on the female staffer and groped her, with others witnessing the incident, RealClear Politics reported.
A source in the Secret Service community said the accused agent was so inebriated that he was kicked out of his hotel room by co-workers and passed out in the hallway, where photos were taken of him.
After learning of the incident, the agent was summoned to Washington, D.C., and ordered to meet Monday with investigators in the Inspections Division, which oversees investigations into disciplinary matters.
"The U.S. Secret Service Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating a misconduct allegation involving an employee," a Secret Service spokesman said in a statement to RealClear Politics. "The Secret Service holds its personnel to the highest standards. The employee has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation."
The report is the latest in a string of negative publicity for the agency, which has faced intense scrutiny after two assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump, including one on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman shot Trump in the right ear from atop a building about 130 yards away.
A Harris spokesperson provided a statement to RealClear Politics but did not respond to a number of detailed questions about the incident and how Harris' staff is managing it.
"The Office of the Vice President takes the safety of staff seriously," the spokesperson said. "We have zero tolerance for sexual misconduct. Senior OVP officials were alerted by the USSS about an incident involving an agent and informed that USSS initiated an investigation. The Office of the Vice President will not be releasing further information."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.