U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service, weighs in on the Secret Service sex scandal, which has already resulted in six agents leaving the agency.
By Kari Huus, msnbc.com
More heads were expected to roll in the investigation of the Secret Service scandal that broke last week, in which members of President Barack Obama's security contingent were consorting with prostitutes in Colombia, lawmakers predicted Monday.
"I think we can expect in the next day or so to see several more agents being forced to leave the agency," Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., told NBC's "Today" show on Monday. King is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, which oversees the Secret Service program.
Six Secret Service employees have already lost their jobs and others are suspended as a result of a night out in Cartagena in which agents partied with prostitutes before President Obama's arrival on April 14 to attend the Summit of the Americas. Twelve secret service members and 11 members of the military are implicated in the scandal.
The Secret Service has launched a broad probe — interviewing prostitutes, hotel personnel and others in cooperation with the Colombian police.
In a letter to Mark Sullivan, director of the Secret Service, King demanded written responses by week’s end to 50 questions about agents’ alleged drinking and mingling with prostitutes on the eve of Obama’s trip.
King said the most important question was whether "any of those foreign nationals (prostitutes) had access at any time to any data or information that could have compromised the president of the United States or made an enemy force aware of the practices and procedures of the Secret Service."
King also said he wanted to find out whether the incident was part of a pattern. “Was it an aberration — something that happens once every 1,000 times — or something that is condoned?” King asked.
Another lawmaker suggested that the Secret Service inquiry had expanded to include people who work in the White House, The Associated Press reported.
"It looks like it's broadened a bit," said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., according to AP. "First, it was Secret Service. Now, it looks like there might be some activity by White House staff."
The White House press secretary, Jay Carney, was scheduled to brief reporters on Monday.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, speaking to reporters en route to Colombia for meetings with defense officials, said the Defense Department has suspended the security clearance of military members who are being investigated in the incident, the AP reported.
"My biggest concern is the issue of security and what could possibly have been jeopardized by virtue of this kind of behavior," Panetta told AP.
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