Secret Service Scandals: Review, Resolve, Renew (Spotlight of 2015 Published Work)

On March 27, 2015, my article Secret Service Scandals: Review, Resolve, Renew, was published in the Epoch Times and The Sentinel.

Subsequently, it was also published as a chapter in my book Reawakening America.

Due to the extensive coverage of the assassination attempt of a presidential candidate on July 13, 2024, the article deserves review.

In my opinion, the issues memorialized in these 2015 publications foreshadowed the crisis the agency is now experiencing. 

Irrefutably, there was heroism on that day with agents who risked their lives in faithfulness to their oath to protect and serve. 

There was also a tragic loss of the innocent life of Corey Comperatore, a dedicated father and husband, who protected his family. His devotion to family must be forever remembered.  

Criticisms and the Call for Transformation

Criticisms of security deficiencies, many of which will prove to be warranted, will continue.

I will reserve my own personal analysis when official reports are released. For reports to have credibility, they must be independent, non-political, and formulated by third-parties.  

The heart my 2015 article, which spotlighted the following, deserves attention.  It was written in 2015 to memorialize that unfolding events were set in stone years ago that would guarantee failure if not corrected. Additionally, the wrong person at the top will always compound any crisis.

The article was written to ignite the positive, and to build on it as America needs the United States Secret Service to succeed.

If only the agency would have heeded the message, noted in the following summary of the article:

• The dignified vision and mission statement of the agency
• The honest assessment of the agency’s scandals and leadership crisis at the time
• The encouragement of, and call to renewal of this distinguished agency (as with all American law enforcement) remains my focus.

The United States Secret Service is vital to America. 

The call for transformation, on the pillars of leadership, vigilance and collaboration, is the reason we step-back so that we may step-forward.

March 27, 2015 Published Article

The professionalism of dedicated Secret Service agents since 1865 is deserving of recognition, respect, and appreciation.

It is important to accentuate their service to America by understanding the vision and mission of the agency:

VISION STATEMENT: The vision of the United States Secret Service is to uphold the tradition of excellence in its investigative and protective mission through a dedicated, highly trained, diverse, partner-oriented workforce that employs progressive technology and promotes professionalism.

MISSION STATEMENT: The mission of the Secret Service is to ensure the security of our President, our Vice President, their families, the White House, the Vice President’s Residence, national and visiting world leaders, former Presidents, and events of national significance. The Secret Service also protects the integrity of our currency and investigates crimes against our national financial system committed by criminals around the world and in cyberspace.

Transparency, Accountability, Commitment

But recently, this once-proud agency has been blistered with numerous scandals.

Transparency, accountability, and commitment must be front and center for the agency’s renewal.

America needs the Secret Service and we must appreciate all who proudly honor their commitment to its vision and mission.

The dignity of this renowned agency demands transformation and refusal from all within its ranks to accept deviance, deficiencies, and dysfunction.

The fact is that agents are human beings and like all of us are capable of either meritorious actions or shameful behavior.

But because the Secret Service is responsible for safeguarding lives, property, and critical information—as well as preserving the morale of the nation—mediocrity and distractions from duty can be devastating.

The Secret Service mission deserves world-class on-going training, certifications, discerning recruitment, continual performance reviews, and, when necessary, counseling, reassignments, suspensions, and terminations.

The mission of all law enforcement, especially one as critical as the Secret Service—responsible for protecting the president—cannot be undermined by mediocrity, superficiality, incompetence, or apathy.

Honor, leadership, ethics, and character must be the hallmarks of the agency and these virtues deserve unwavering perseverance.

Recent Secret Service Scandals—A Partial List

Renewal of the agency will take place when recent scandals—including these in published reports—are honestly addressed and remedied:

• June–August 2011: Agents responsible for protecting the White House are pulled from their posts to protect the home of a friend of agency director Mark Sullivan.

• November 2011: Several bullets hit the White House but an inferior Secret Service investigation fails to uncover it until four days later when the marks were noticed by a housekeeper.

• April 23, 2012: About a dozen agents are sent home from Colombia after a scandal of their involvement with prostitutes.

• May 2013: An agency supervisor tries to re-enter a woman’s room after mistakenly leaving a bullet there.

• March 23, 2014: After being found passed out by intoxication in a hotel hallway during a presidential trip, three agents are sent home from the Netherlands.

• Sept. 16, 2014: An armed security guard violates agency protocol by being in the same elevator with the president.

• Sept. 19, 2014: A knife-wielding man climbs the White House fence, enters the mansion, and has access to the bottom floor before being apprehended.

• Oct. 29, 2014: The agency’s investigator of the Colombia prostitution scandal is forced to resign after his arrest regarding prostitution in Florida.

• Jan. 13, 2015: Four assistant agency directors were fired, with the option of retiring or reassignment.

• March 4, 2015: After drinking at a party, two senior agents run into a White House security barrier, passing through security tape of an active bomb investigation.

Renewal Without Excuses

In my numerous keynotes for the FBI and law enforcement officials, the human deficiencies that can distract us from our mission are honestly addressed. As counterpoint to these weaknesses; character, ethics, leadership, and moral courage are always stressed as the pillars of patriotic and personal responsibility.

Dysfunctional alcohol, prostitution, incompetence, or apathy issues deserve swift accountability.  Coverups, excuses, or enabling are unacceptable.

The good name of the Secret Service will be restored when leadership is the foundation, and a renewed commitment must begin immediately.

The renewal is critical, not only to the vision and mission of the agency, but to America.

Before we conclude, let us memorialize and pay tribute to a hero who gave his life to protect his family on July 13, 2024:

Corey Comperatore Obituary: Tribute To A Hero

"Corey D. Comperatore, aged 50, of Sarver, passed away on Saturday, July 13th, 2024, leaving behind a legacy of love and courage.

"Born on June 16, 1974, in Natrona Heights, PA, he was the son of Karen Bird and the late Carl L. Comperatore.

"Corey was a proud graduate of Freeport High School, class of 1992, and went on to honor his country as a dedicated 10-year veteran of the US Army Reserves. His commitment to excellence continued in his professional life where he excelled as a project and tooling engineer at JSP. Corey's passion for his community shone brightly through his active membership at the Cabot Church and his lifelong service at the Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department, where he notably served as chief in the early 2000s.

"But above all, Corey was the quintessential family man and the best girl dad. His love for his wife Helen (Scott) Comperatore was a testament to the power of partnership and devotion. Together, they raised two daughters, Allyson and Kaylee Comperatore, who will carry forward his spirit of compassion. Also surviving are his mother, Karen (Denny)  Bird, his sisters, Kelly (Doug) Meeder and Dawn Comperatore Shaffer, his stepbrother, Steven (Megan) Warheit, his two beloved Dobermans, Ivan and Negan, and many nieces, nephews and great nieces.

"Corey's life was a reflection of his faith. He was a man of God who loved Jesus with every fiber of his being. His actions were guided by his unwavering belief, and he inspired those around him to live with purpose and grace. His ability to lift the spirits of everyone he encountered was unparalleled."  Complete Official Obituary

About the Author

Vincent J. Bove is a national speaker and author. He authored eighteen cover stories for The Chief of Police, and 300 additional articles for numerous publications. His most recent books are Reawakening America and Listen to Their Cries.