A highly intoxicated man entered the home of Biden National Security adviser Jake Sullivan in April, sparking an internal investigation that reportedly infuriated the head of the Secret Service. The residence has around-the-clock protection, but this person, who remains unidentified, snuck past the state-of-the-art security systems. Even more embarrassing is that the agents guarding the house didn’t know an intruder had entered or left. Mr. Sullivan encountered the man in his residence and escorted him out, later informing the Secret Service detail about the breach. Human error was the default explanation for the security breakdown, but the real cause stemming from that isn’t surprising. The man was able to sneak by the agents because they were on their phones (via CNN):
The US Secret Service implemented tougher disciplinary measures after preliminary findings from an internal investigation found agents missed an intruder at national security adviser Jake Sullivan’s home in part because they were using their personal phones, people briefed on the matter said.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle in recent days ordered increased penalties for employees who violate policies on duty, including the use of personal devices while on the job.
The moves are partly in response to initial findings of an internal investigation following the April incident at Sullivan’s home, when agents on his protective detail failed to see an intruder enter and exit, the sources said.
A law enforcement official familiar with the internal investigation said the agents on duty that night and their supervisors, are likely to be subject to disciplinary action, including an evaluation of whether they can maintain their federal security clearance, a requirement for their positions.
Shouldn’t these agents be fired? We’re lucky this person of interest wasn’t belligerent or looking to harm Mr. Sullivan. It’s likely this person, in his condition, merely mistook where he was and stumbled into the residence, a simple wrong address stumble after too many drinks. The agency dodged a bullet, though, literally. While not on par with the fiasco involving agents and Colombian prostitutes in Cartagena during the Obama years, it’s still a humiliating failure for the Secret Service.
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