Secret
Service director called to Capitol Hill to discuss misbehavior of agents
By
Ted Barrett, CNN
updated 4:38 AM EDT, Wed April 2,
2014
"These
are isolated incidents of misconduct and we're working every day to correct our
behavior," Pierson told reporters Tuesday after leaving a closed meeting
with top senators on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
But
there have been numerous incidents of misconduct in recent years.
Julia Pierson was appointed head of
the Secret Service about a year ago in the wake of an incident involving
drinking and prostitutes ahead of a presidential visit in Colombia.
In
the latest, three agents who were part of the President's advance security
detail were sent home from the Netherlands after one of them was found passed
out in a hotel hallway after a night of drinking. Also, a Secret Service
officer in Florida was involved in a traffic accident and alcohol use was
suspected.
"We're
human and we make mistakes," Pierson said when asked why the agency
continues to be plagued by such problems
Chairman
Tom Carper of Delaware said just a "handful" of Secret Service
members are "shaming and smearing" the agency, which employs
thousands of people. He said he discussed with Pierson modifying hiring and
firing rules and making other policy changes if they would help her deal with
the problem.
"All
of us are human, all of us have temptation and some of these jobs, they travel
a lot, they're away from home a lot. They have their own foibles," Carper
said. "This director is very committed to making sure there's a set of
discipline policy standards to follow."
Pierson,
a Secret Service veteran, is the first woman to head the agency. She was
appointed to the post by President Obama about a year ago in the wake of an
incident involving drinking and prostitutes ahead of the President's 2012 visit
to Cartagena, Colombia.
"I
have made clear to the entire workforce that I will not tolerate unprofessional
behavior or misconduct at any level -- both on and off duty," Pierson told
the senators, according to prepared remarks released by the Secret Service.
"I remain committed to swiftly and vigorously addressing any instances of
misconduct that are brought to my attention."
Pierson
told the senators she has instituted several changes beyond those including
appointing a chief integrity officer, centralizing the discipline process at
the agency, and implementing enhanced ethics and integrity training for
employees.
Sen.
Kelly Ayotte, R-New Hampshire, was one of a handful of senators to go to the
hour-long meeting, which was also attended by Pierson's boss, Secretary of
Homeland Security Jeh Johnson.
"We've
got to get to the bottom of this because it's important to our government to have
the Secret Service carry itself with the highest of standards that we expect of
them, not only to make sure that ... the President of the United States but all
of our leaders are protected," said Ayotte who likened recent incidents to
a "fraternity party."
Sen.
Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the committee, told CNN the
senators outlined in the meeting suggestions to the agency to deal with problem
but he wouldn't say what those suggestions were. He said he has confidence in
Pierson to stay on the job and deal with the issues.
"She's
obviously embarrassed because it's a reflection on her management but I'm
willing to give her the benefit of the doubt right now and see if things don't
change," Coburn said.
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