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(NY Daily News) – A dozen Secret Service agents assigned to protect President Obama in Colombia were sent home amid allegations that at least one of them was found cavorting with prostitutes. The bawdy bodyguards were relieved of duty because of accusations involving sex workers in Cartagena, Colombia, the site of a summit of more than 30 world leaders, the Associated Press reported.
“There have been allegations of misconduct made against Secret Service personnel” in the Colombian port city, Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said, refusing to confirm that prostitution was involved.
But Jon Adler, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, told the Washington Post the accusations relate to at least one agent having involvement with prostitutes in Cartagena. Donovan said the incidents in question occurred before the President’s arrival Friday night.
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The scandal marks a major black eye for the White House — and threatened to overshadow Obama’s economic and trade agenda at the Summit of the Americas.
ABC News exclusive: Secret Service Partied at Cartagena’s Pley Club Brothel
Secret Service agents recalled for full investigation
(Washington Post) – In a statement, Donovan said the matter has been turned over to the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility, which serves as the agency’s internal affairs unit.
“The Secret Service takes all allegations of misconduct seriously,” Donovan said. “These personnel changes will not affect the comprehensive security plan that has been prepared in advance of the President’s trip.”
Adler said the entire unit was recalled for purposes of the investigation. The Secret Service “responded appropriately” and is “looking at a very serious allegation,” he said, adding that the agency “needs to properly investigate and fairly ascertain the merits of the allegations.”
Update [2012-4-17 6:36:4 by Oui]:
Possible security breach: Secret Service agents had president’s schedule in rooms
(MSNBC/Reuters) – The Secret Service agents who brought prostitutes back to their hotel rooms in Colombia last week had copies of the president’s schedule in their rooms, which raises the issue of a potential security breach.
It has also been revealed that among the Secret Service personnel involved were full-fledged agents, which further ratchets up the seriousness of the incident. The heavily armed agents play a key role in protecting the president, and their job is to neutralize attacks, according to the agency’s website.
It was initially reported that five military service members were also involved, but that they may have only broken curfew. Now officials say that more were involved and that they did more than just return to their hotel rooms too late –- several also paid for prostitutes.
The military service members involved were explosives experts and dog handlers from the Navy, Army and Marine Corps. The military advance team also included linguists and drivers, but they have not been implicated in the Columbia incident.
U.S. military ’embarrassed’ by Colombia scandal
The top U.S. military officer said Monday the nation’s military leadership is embarrassed by allegations of misconduct against at least 10 U.S. military members at a Colombia hotel on the eve of President Barack Obama’s visit.
“We let the boss down,” Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Pentagon news conference. He said he regretted that the scandal, which also involved 11 Secret Service agents accused of cavorting with prostitutes at the hotel, diverted attention from Obama’s diplomacy at a Latin America summit.
Appearing with Dempsey at the Pentagon, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said U.S. troops are expected to abide by “the highest standards” of behaviour whether they are at home or abroad.
Army Col. Scott Malcom, chief spokesman for U.S. Southern Command, which organized the military team that was assigned to support the Secret Service’s mission in Cartagena, declined to say how many additional service members are under investigation. He also would not say which branch of the military they were from.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
