Secret Service agent eyed in Harris campaign sexual assault
The U.S. Secret Service insignia is pictured on a wall at the Secret Service headquarters in Washington
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
The U.S. Secret Service is investigating allegations that one of its agents sexually assaulted a female staff member of the presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, the agency confirmed Wednesday.
The agent allegedly forced himself onto the woman and groped her in her hotel room after eating a meal and drinking alcohol with her and several other Harris campaign staffers in a restaurant in Wisconsin, during a visit in the past week to scout out possible campaign stops for the vice president, Real Clear Politics reported.
When asked about that report, a Secret Service spokesman told CNBC, “The U.S. Secret Service Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating a misconduct allegation involving an employee.”
“The Secret Service holds its personnel to the highest standards,” the spokesman said in an email. “The employee has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.”
Harris’ office, in a statement on the report, told NBC News, “The Office of the Vice President take the safety of staff seriously.”
“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,” Harris’ office said. “The Office of the Vice President will not be releasing further information.”
Real Clear Politics reported that the agent’s actions “were apparently witnessed by other people present.”
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The incident comes as the Secret Service continues facing sharp criticism for the attempted assassination of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on July 13 during a campaign rally in western Pennsylvania.
Trump was nicked by a bullet, one rally attended was killed and two other men were wounded when a gunman who was able to climb up to a roof overlooking the rally site fired at the former president before the shooter was killed by a Secret Service sniper.
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