Secret Service security breaches, September 2014
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Director of the U.S. Secret Service Julia Pierson resigned from office on October 1, 2014, following congressional hearings about Secret Service security breaches in September 2014. An Iraq veteran, Omar Gonzalez, armed with a pocket knife, scaled the White House fence on September 19, 2014, and proceeded to get past five levels of security, including crossing the lawn, entering the unlocked front door, and reaching the East Room before being arrested by Secret Service. At hearings, Pierson acknowledged the failure in service but denied any further security breaches in 2014. However, the Washington Examiner reported shortly after the hearing that days prior to the incident a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contract security officer was allowed on an elevator with President Obama while carrying a firearm which is against Secret Service protocol.
Gonzalez incident
- September 19, 2014
- September 19, 2014
Omar Gonzalez was seen on video surveillance climbing the White House fence before sprinting across the Front Lawn before entering the White House through the unlocked front door. He then proceeded into the building and overpowered a guard at the entrance and ran to the East Room before being intercepted by an off-duty Secret Service agent.[1][2] The Obamas had left the White House nearly five minutes before the intrusion took place.[1] It was initially reported that Gonzalez had been stopped just inside the entrance of the building, but White House whistle-blowers notified Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) who lead the congressional investigation into the matter.[3]
- September 29, 2014
Rep. Jason Chaffetz commented on the lack of leadership that led to the significant breakdown in White House security, suggesting, "I could not be more proud of the individual agents, but I worry that Director (Julia) Pierson and the leadership there at the Secret Service is failing them."[3]
Gonzalez, a U.S. Army veteran in Iraq, was reportedly diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following his deployment. He had been interviewed by the Secret Service in two prior incidents, but he was released with no suspicion of a threat on both occasions. While he was only armed with a pocket knife on his person, Gonzalez' vehicle contained over 800 rounds of ammunition, two hatchets and a machete. His first run-in with Secret Service came as the result of his July 19, 2014 arrest for carrying a sniper rifle and shotgun while eluding arrest. Authorities found a map with the White House pointed out, leading to a Secret Service threat assessment interview. The second incident on August 25, 2014, during which the Secret Service was aware of his previous incident, came when Gonzalez was outside the White House fence carrying a hunting hatchet. Again, he was interviewed and released.[4]
Court hearings
- October 1, 2014
- October 1, 2014
Gonzalez' initial court hearing was held on October 1, 2014, during which he pleaded not guilty to charges. He waived a detention hearing, meaning he would stay in custody until his October 21, 2014. A mental competency screening was also ordered by the judge.[5]
Congressional Secret Service hearings
- September 30-October 1, 2014
- September 30-October 1, 2014
Secret Service Director Julia Pierson was called to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on September 30, 2014, during which she claimed responsibility for Gonzalez' security breach and said proper protocol for the security breach was not followed. She announced changes to policy including a full review of all decision-making in the incident as well as authorizing the installation of automatic locks on the front door in the case of a security breach. She acknowledged that the Secret Service was aware of Gonzalez' presence prior to the breach due to his previous record with the agency, but no intervention attempts were made.[6]
The Washington Post reported that "crash boxes," alarms placed throughout the White House as a first alert system, were muted at the request of the usher's office because of noise complaints. A spokesperson for the office stated that they suspected the alarms were not working properly and going off when they weren't supposed to. Additionally, when the outside could not get to Gonzalez, a guard dog was supposed to be released in an attempt to stop the intruder, but the dog was not released.[7]
Likely the most damning evidence against Pierson was reported by The Washington Examiner following her testimony. While the president was visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia on September 16, 2014. A CDC contract security worker was on an elevator with the president and acting in an "unprofessional" manner by taking pictures and videos of the president, prompting the Secret Service to interview the guard. During the interview, the guard's supervisor asked him to forfeit his weapon, a weapon the Secret Service was not aware of and was directly against protocol. The Secret Service is charged with vetting anyone permitted to carry a weapon in the vicinity of the president, and only sworn law enforcement officials can carry be permitted to possess firearms once vetted.[8]
- October 1, 2014
United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform ranking Democrat Elijah Cummings (D-MD) said he no longer had faith in Pierson's ability to lead the Secret Service following the release of the incident at the CDC. He explained, "I've come to the conclusion that my confidence and my trust in this director, Ms. Pierson, has eroded. And I do not feel comfortable with her in that position."[9]
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) stood by Rep. Cummings in calling for the resignation of Pierson, stating, "If Mr. Cummings thinks that she should go, I subscribe to his recommendation. I am subscribing to his superior judgment and knowledge on the subject. But I’m also further saying that this is more than one person because there were problems before she went there."[10]
- Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), a fellow committee member, also echoed concerns about Pierson's leadership ability, stating, "I do not have confidence, especially given her answers of yesterday and the revelations of Atlanta, and then this continuing series of events, that it is probably best that she does step down."[9]
Pierson's resignation
- October 1, 2014
- October 1, 2014
Pierson handed in her resignation to Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson on October 1, 2014, following scrutiny of her leadership abilities and decision-making from both Congress and the White House. President Obama called Pierson to thank her for over 30 years of service.[11]
- October 1, 2014
- White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest announced her resignation prior to the disbursal of the press release, stating, "The President concluded that new leadership of that agency was required."[11]
- Rep. Jason Chaffetz showed his gratitude for Pierson offering her resignation, stating, "Director Pierson’s resignation is a matter of national security and I am pleased she is stepping down. The position should be filled immediately by new leadership from outside the Secret Service for a fresh start."[11]
Previous Secret Service breaches
- November 11, 2011: A gunman, Oscar R. Ortega-Hernandez, fired on the White House residence from his nearby vehicle, drawing attention of the Secret Service, but a Secret Service supervisor advised the agents to stand down and called the gunfire the back-firing of a car. The Secret Service later claimed the gun fire was a result of a shootout between nearby gangs. Bullets weren't found lodged in the residence for four days, at which point the investigation began and he was arrested.[12]
- May 7, 2014: A man accidentally pulled out of a traffic circle in Washington, D.C., directly behind the presidential motorcade. Secret Service could not lift the bollards before the man crossed a perimeter barricade, where he was pulled over and arrested. It was determined to be an accident, and the man was released.[13]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Obama + administration + security + breach
See also
- Barack Obama
- Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
- Rep. Jason Chaffetz (D-UT)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 CNN, "Secret Service director testimony omits elevator incident with Obama," September 30, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "White House intruder was tackled by off-duty Secret Service agent," September 30, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 CNN, "Officials: Fence jumper made it into East Room of White House," September 30, 2014
- ↑ CNN, "Official: Secret Service twice interviewed, released would-be White House intruder," September 23, 2014
- ↑ MSNBC, "Accused White House intruder, Omar Gonzalez, pleads not guilty," October 1, 2014
- ↑ WJLA, "Key highlights of Secret Service director's testimony before Congress," September 30, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "White House fence-jumper made it far deeper into building than previously known," September 29, 2014
- ↑ Washington Examiner, "Exclusive: Secret Service missed man with gun in elevator with Obama," September 30, 2014
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Hill, "Dem on Secret Service director: 'I think this lady has to go'," October 1, 2014
- ↑ Time, "Pelosi Says Secret Service Director Should Resign," October 1, 2014
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Time, "Secret Service Director Resigns," October 1, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Secret Service fumbled response after gunman hit White House residence in 2011," September 27, 2014
- ↑ CNN, "White House security breach appears to be honest mistake," May 7, 2014
