In the summer of 2011, Secret Service agents responsible for monitoring the White House grounds were reassigned to help protect an agency staffer who was a close friend of the Secret Service director. The agents involved were members of a special unit called Prowler, which is responsible for monitoring the White House perimeter. The unit is especially focused on the South Lawn between 15th and 17th Streets NW, when the president is leaving or arriving via helicopter and motorcade.
If these accusations are true, and there is no reason to think that they are not, there has been an extreme misuse of power as well as government resources. In addition, this diversion from intended use of agents placed the president and others involved in presidential security at risk.
Furthermore, the couple who were watched for months on end probably have a law suit against the United States government.
Is anyone curious what the original spat was over?
Good for the agents who reported this deviation from protocol.
What should happen? Should we just blame Obama? Does the entire Secret Service need an overhaul, given incidents in the past year or two that simply embarrass the country? It seems this once highly respected agency has lost its credibility and respect at this point. What a shame.
The Secret Service – as well as many other agencies NEED to be overhauled. They and other agencies sit behind a wall of intimidation (for safety, security, etc) and belch that they need more funding and more people to do their task, yet waste money all over the place on things like this. How could someone have the power to just move people around like this – and no accountability or over sight. Shameful.