Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Secret Service scandal a national embarrassment?

Details

  • Description

    What's next for those involved in misconduct?

  • Duration 6:47
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Editor's Picks

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

-- prostitution scandal has -- the United States Secret Service and has the Obama administration scrambling to contain this national embarrassment.

Now eleven agents assigned to protect the life of the president.

During the summit of the Americas in Colombia have been suspended amid allegations that they hired prostitutes some of whom may have been underage.

How many the accused agents are married -- within the supervisors.

And all had top secret clearances raising very serious concerns about whether or not their actions.

Compromise president Obama's security -- -- the president has said publicly he will be quote angry if these reports are true.

Both he and other top administration officials.

Don't seem to understand the gravity of this incident on Saturday night just hours after this bombshell story broke.

Secretary of state Hillary Clinton was seen partying at -- Colombian nightclub.

Drinking beer dancing with friends and apparently she's not the only one impressed with well Columbia's -- take a look at this.

I want to thank.

The president some close and the people of Colombia for the extraordinary hospitality and in the beautiful city of Cartagena.

We're having a wonderful time and and usually when I take these summit troops part of my job was to scout out where the I may want to bring Michelle back.

Later for vacation saw.

And here now with reaction to the administration's bizarre response to this developing scandal are the author of in the president's Secret Service from Ronald Kessler.

You -- actually broke the story and United States senate candidate.

Dan -- -- a former US Secret Service agent himself guys on the program at a C and -- -- personal congratulations when -- primary in your on your way to the general.

Part company as we -- in the Secret Service twelve years all right and you made a really tough.

Family decision you've got out of the service look I have a Secret Service flag pin on I've met many of these guys know them do you work with them.

-- I gotta admit when I heard this I was pretty shocked.

But then I thought -- -- probably within any organization.

You gonna have a few bad apples does but with the Secret Service it's a little different.

Sure the penalties have much greater it's a human agency's full of human beings that made I human mistake and a grave mistake.

A tremendous tremendous lapse in judgment there's no question about that.

This is devastating to me both personally professionally it's not the kind of story -- to be talking about you personally during a campaign you don't even know who these agents are.

Yeah I -- very personal relationships with a number in the not very personal and it's really deeply impacted me it's a very emotional story it's not one I enjoyed coming up here to talk about.

And you and you found out immediately after you made the decision did you you served under two presidents that's right at the White House.

Men present -- close to President Obama you did a lot of detail work for him.

And that you decided to run a campaign against President Obama that's right and against his policies right that's right I say all the time I know personal gripe with President Obama and all this is strictly a political difference and a very serious when I disagree with just about all of his policies -- this is an issue I think we we were talking off the -- we agree on.

This is a national embarrassment as it's above partisan politics is there's no Republicans smiling about this some -- -- -- the president is overseas he's our president that's way you know why -- -- a job to keep him safe this is for all of our elected officials.

That he represents the and Ron let me go to you you even reported -- -- Max today that if there's a possibility.

That these girls who may be under -- tell us how you might know that well.

That's that's a question that has -- -- -- -- because it's very common for.

Girls being put into.

Trafficking.

Underage.

So that's that's that's just an issue to be explored.

But you mention that the administration is taking -- lightly I think you saw that when President Obama was asked about this on Sunday.

Penney said it well if these allegations.

In the press turn out to be true I'll be very angry -- first of all.

As we all know it's -- allegations in the press it's -- service itself which said.

In a statement issued after I broke the story.

That.

Misconduct occurred and that's why these agents are being sent back and so he's sort of behind -- -- secondly.

And being angry is not the way reform this agency.

The way reform has to replace the director Mark Sullivan who has presided over all these fiasco is this one.

The -- -- he's ensuring that the state dinner.

Dozens of -- examples in my book in the presidency -- service corner cutting that's even that are even more serious and some of these.

Examples such as -- -- -- people into events without putting into Magnus commoners this is like putting.

Passengers engine airplane without.

Prints to -- magnetometer is not insisting I'm not physical.

Fitness and hand firearms we qualification.

Testing and instead those sometimes him -- agents to fill out there on test scores which is dishonest I'm not and this corner cutting.

Leads to.

The kind of thing that we -- and Columbia.

All right that you -- serve -- here would mr.

Kessler saying.

I know one of the things that they're likely to do is go back and look and see whether or not this is a you know loan incident.

Now I have to believe that there's a possibility if -- if if -- would act this way one day.

That -- probably happened in the past that it is that a jump from me.

-- having done leads overseas foreign -- where I was I was in charge -- was really all ended with me the decision making I can tell you when we had -- not like this but even.

-- incidents were some moments -- drinking off duty -- just didn't look right it was always dealt with very -- -- I remember.

Being in hotel rooms with a supervisor on the trip and me.

Addressing a guy who it was intoxicated and it was did not end well -- -- was immediately sent home the Secret Service is reputation to them is Paramount.

It's everything I did -- who supervises in this case we're told that.

Yeah and that's what makes it particularly disturbing me Sean there's really no way attempted to square -- -- is there any way from your experience that this would compromise the safety security the president.

Well on this trip unfortunately it doesn't appear to be the case there was couldn't have happened of course and I think that's what bothers disservice the most to me.

I see that reputation matters Mercer the most -- you do with a reputation matters most.

Because the security of the press that matters most of securing a life but the executive office of the president United States.

That is no small mission and I think they're going to do.

A very severe review from the policies and you're gonna see a number of changes to madness I can't imagine it would naslund guys thank you very much -- look at his senate campaign have a -- appreciated and.

Load More