Secret Service Head Confirms She Will Testify at House Oversight Committee Monday as Calls for Her Resignation Intensify

Secret Service head Kimberly Cheatle confirms she will testify before the House Oversight Committee as calls mount for her to resign from her post following Saturday’s near-fatal security failure that nearly claimed the life of President Trump. The House Oversight and Accountability Chair James Comer issued a subpoena on Wednesday to secure Ms. Cheatle’s appearance at Monday’s hearing. The committee meeting will be the first time that Ms. Cheatle will speak before lawmakers regarding the attempted assassination of Trump, which claimed one life and critically injured two others. While Ms. Cheatle had already verbally committed to attend the hearing, as tensions have escalated between the Secret Service and House Republicans. Mr. Comer said he issued the subpoena to ensure that she makes good on her promise. “Initially, the Secret Service committed to your attendance. Subsequently, however, DHS officials appear to have intervened and your attendance is now in question,” Mr. Comer wrote in a letter to Cheatle.He also criticized the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security for failing to provide the committee with “meaningful updates or information” in the days following the probe. “The lack of transparency and failure to cooperate with the Committee on this pressing matter by both DHS and the Secret Service further calls into question your ability to lead the Secret Service and necessitates the attached subpoena compelling your appearance before the Oversight Committee,” he added. Following the issuance of the subpoena, the assistant secretary of Homeland Security, Zephranie Buetow, requested to delay Ms. Cheatle’s hearing appearance due to the security head’s focus on the ongoing Republican National Convention. Ms. Buetow added that while Ms. Cheatle was happy to testify at the hearing, the department was “disappointed that the Committee rushed to issue a subpoena.” The Oversight panel ultimately rejected the request to delay the committee meeting. Lawmakers reported on Friday that Ms. Cheatle agreed to attend the hearing at its existing date. Monday’s committee meeting kicks off a multi-pronged investigation launched by Congress in response to Saturday’s security failure. Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, has pledged to set a task force in the House to streamline the various investigations. In his announcement, Mr. Johnson also called for Ms. Cheatle to resign, adding to the list of prominent Republicans who have come out with similar statements, including House Majority Leader, Steve Scalise, and Senator McConnell. “The nation deserves answers and accountability,” Mr. McConnell wrote on X. New leadership at the Secret Service would be an important step in that direction.”Much of the confusion hinges on why there was no law enforcement coverage of the roof from which the 20-year-old shooter fired. The building in question was less than 150 yards from the rally stage. Ms. Cheatle has since come out with the explanation that the building’s “sloped roof” created safety concerns, though critics were quick to point out that other Secret Service snipers were placed on a similarly sloping roof. On Friday morning, allegations circulated that most of the security officers covering Trump during the rally weren’t even part of the Secret Service. The claims came from whistleblowers with “direct knowledge of the event” who shared the knowledge with Senator Hawley. Mr. Hawley sent a letter on Friday morning to the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejando Mayorkas, to raise concerns. As per his letter, the whistleblowers allege that the majority of the Department of Homeland Security officers were not actually Secret Service agents, but rather, pulled from the department’s Homeland Security Investigations team. “This is especially concerning given that HSCI agents were unfamiliar with standard protocols typically used at these types of events, according to the allegations,” Mr. Hawley wrote. Mr. Hawley also claims that the whistleblowers told him that the July 13 rally was provided with “loose” security coverage, with no detection canines in place to monitor entry, and improper security buffers placed around the podium. In spite of the mounting criticism, Ms. Cheatle has, so far, pledged to remain in her post. She told ABC News this week that she would not resign, adding, “The buck stops with me. I am the director of the Secret Service.”

Secret Service Head Confirms She Will Testify at House Oversight Committee Monday as Calls for Her Resignation Intensify

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