DHS watchdog declined to pursue investigations into Secret Service during Trump administration, documents show
By Carol D. Leonnig
April 20, 2021 at 9:11 a.m. EDT
The chief federal watchdog for the Secret Service blocked investigations proposed by career staff last year to scrutinize the agency’s handling of the George Floyd protests in Lafayette Square and the spread of the coronavirus in its ranks, according to documents and people with knowledge of his decisions.
Both matters involved decisions by then-President Donald Trump that may have affected actions by the agency.
Joseph Cuffari, the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general, rejected his staff’s recommendation to investigate what role the Secret Service played in the forcible clearing of protesters from Lafayette Square on June 1, according to internal documents and two people familiar with his decision, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the discussions.
After the sudden charge by police on the largely peaceful protesters, the Secret Service was able to move Trump to a church at the edge of the park, where the White House staged a photo opportunity for the president.
Cuffari also sought to limit — and then the office ultimately shelved — a probe into whether the Secret Service flouted federal protocols put in place to detect and reduce the spread of the coronavirus within its workforce, according to the records.
Hundreds of Secret Service officers were either infected with the coronavirus or had to quarantine after potential exposure last year as Trump continued to travel and hold campaign events during the pandemic.
DHS investigators argued that both investigations were essential to their office’s duty to hold the department and the Secret Service accountable, according to the people.
The Secret Service has declined to answer questions about the agency’s role in the Lafayette Square episode, though officials have stressed the clearing of protesters was under the direction of the U.S. Park Police.
The agency has also asserted that it followed best practices and federal protocols to try to contain the spread of coronovirus and prioritized the health of its employees.
Cuffari’s decisions not to pursue the probes were revealed in records obtained by the Project On Government Oversight, a nonprofit watchdog group, and shared with The Washington Post.
Staff argued that the coronavirus investigation should have been a high priority because of the health risks at stake, the people said. Internal DHS reports showed a spike in the number of Secret Service employees who tested positive for coronavirus last summer, a situation that potentially endangered their co-workers, senior government officials and even the president. Trump contracted the coronavirus in the fall, although it is unclear how he was infected.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/secret-service-trump-inspector-general/2021/04/19/87f20cc6-9eea-11eb-9d05-ae06f4529ece_story.html
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