Cotton puts hold on ambassadorial nominations over Secret Service leaks

Oliver pointed out that Rep. Jason Chaffetz has no problem embarrassing himself without the help of the Secret Service. According to a recent report by Department of Homeland Security Inspector General John Roth, “One agent reported that by the end of the second day, he was sent on a protection assignment in New York City for the visit of the president of Afghanistan, and numerous approximately 70 agents at the protection briefing were talking about the issue”.

“If he intentionally misled investigators, he has to be fired”, Cotton told the Post. Tom Cotton on Monday called on Barack Obama’s administration to take swift action to punish Secret Service personnel who accessed unflattering information about a lawmaker, and he said he is putting a hold on three of Obama’s ambassadorial nominations until it does.

The hold applies to Cassandra Butts, nominated for ambassador to Bahamas; Azita Raji, nominated for ambassador to Sweden; and Samuel Heins, nominated for ambassador to Norway.

Cotton defended that decision by suggesting the Chaffetz leak speaks to a broader attempt by the administration to intimidate the congressional committees that oversee it. “This is a constitutional clash between the executive and the legislature”.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Homeland Security Department’s internal watchdog is reopening the investigation into efforts by the Secret Service to discredit a congressman.

Clancy revised the date he became aware of the data breach on Monday, saying he had known since April 2, not April 1, and was “going off memory” when he stated the incorrect date to the inspector general.

Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy, who was apparently kept in the dark about the improper access of Chaffetz’s file, said last week that he would ensure that “appropriate disciplinary actions are taken” and that he would “demand the highest level of integrity of all our employees”.

Yet Mr. Clancy had to know the Chaffetz information could only have been obtained by violating the Privacy Act. Late last week, after Roths report on the incident was released, Clancy changed his recollection and said he first heard unsubstantiated rumors about Chaffetz as early as March 25. “Yet, with a single exception, there was no evidence that any of the managers attempted to inform up the chain or to stop or remediate the activity”, the report said.