Posted on 04/17/2012 6:47:23 PM PDT by Steelfish
Secret Service Agents Took 20 Women To Colombian Hotel, Says Senator Susan Collins says director is pursuing 'vigorous internal investigation' as scandal triggers scrutiny of agency's culture
Karen McVeigh 17 April 2012 At least 20 women were brought back to a hotel in Colombia by secret service agents and military personnel who are now under investigation into allegations of misconduct involving prostitutes, according to a US senator.
Speaking after she was briefed by the director of the secret service, Susan Collins, the top Republican on the Senate homeland security committee, said on Tuesday: "There are 11 agents involved. Twenty or 21 women foreign nationals were brought to the hotel, but allegedly marines were involved with the rest."
A spokesman for the secret service told the Guardian that it had revoked the top security clearances of the 11 employees, who have been placed on administrative leave and can no longer access official facilities. A number of military personnel, believed to be as many as 10, were also allegedly involved in misconduct at the hotel in Cartagena where President Barack Obama was due to stay ahead of a summit.
A US official told Reuters on Monday that more than 10 military service members may have been involved.
The incident, which overshadowed Obama's visit to the summit in Colombia, has triggered scrutiny of a culture where, according to the Washington Post, married secret service agents joke during aircraft take-off that their motto is "wheels up, rings off". It has also prompted questions about discipline and leadership in the service.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Why would a liberal like Senator Collins have a problem with this?
Oh, its an election year.
The summit was to also focus on sexual exploitation and sexual slavery. Obama again proved do as I say not as my Secret Service does. He was only mad as he didn’t get to play with the boys this trip. But Hillary did get to play with the girls. Now why did she not get admonsished by the President or the press?
from my sources, this behavior is nothing new.
Fast and Furious eh boys?
Let’s do the math? 11 agents and 20 women.
Hell, in my day any 11 of us Lieutenants would’ve done better than that.
21 Senator!
I still find this hard to believe, unless they lowered their hiring standards drastically.
As a former Marine who has hit more than a few liberty ports ... this kind of stuff has been ongoing for a long time ... don’t give me this SS agents are a breed apart. They’ve been pulling this type of BS off for a long time. This time they were caught with their hand in the cookie jar ...
How many were underage?
Why was one stiffed? Something exceptional happen?
I don’t believe your sources and you shouldn’t either.
I’m just happy to read from a journalist who actually knows how to spell ‘colombia!’
That's your opinion, NOT fact!
My understanding as well....but who blew the whistle on this? Has that been disclosed?
It’s fact. Sorry to disappoint you.
apparently this is common, they only got caught because they refused to pay or something
disgusting
Somewhat surprisingly, there is an Israeli connection here. Some folks think that this was a Mossad operation run by Netanyahu to let Obama know that Israel is displeased.
What an interesting move on Be-Be’s part. Nothing like letting someone know they’re not out of their reach. WOW!
Let's put it this way tweenkie ... I know the breed.
You, on the other hand, are totally f'ing clueless.
Leaving the current resident of the White House out of the equation, I wouldn’t trust any man who would betray his vows to his wife. Certainly not to lay down his life to protect the president. He simply is not a man of his word. One can try to justify it all he wants, but the fact remains that a man who would step out on his wife is a man who cannot be trusted with anything of value.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.