E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSNBC News' Mark Potter traces the events in the unfolding Secret Service scandal.
Some of the Secret Service agents under investigation in the Colombian prostitution scandal have agreed to take polygraph tests, a U.S. official told NBC News on Wednesday.
|
Libby Leist of NBC News contributed to this report by Kristen Welker of NBC News and M. Alex Johnson of msnbc.com. Follow M. Alex Johnson on Twitter and Facebook. |
Eleven Secret Service agents were recalled from Colombia last week and have been stripped of their security clearances after reports emerged alleging that some of them had taken prostitutes to their hotel rooms before President Barack Obama arrived for the Latin American summit.
The U.S. official said the agents had been "offered" the opportunity to submit to polygraph tests and that some had accepted. The official didn't say how many had agreed.
Ed Donovan, a spokesman for the Secret Service, wouldn't confirm the information, saying only that the agency's Office of Professional Responsibility was using every investigative tool at its disposal.
NBC News: Prostitute's $50 fee for two agents triggered Secret Service scandal
Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan has told lawmakers that the 11 agents and 10 U.S. military personnel also implicated in the scandal are giving investigators conflicting stories, making it difficult to pin down the truth, several lawmakers told NBC News.
The Colombian government is separately investigating whether underage girls were part of the arrangements, but Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, told NBC News that Sullivan believes the youngest woman involved was about 20 or 21 years old.
NBC News reported this week that some of the agents had copies of the president's schedule in their rooms, raising the possibility of a security breach. But Sullivan said none of the prostitutes ever had access to secure information, according to Grassley.
"I think that he feels that protocol was followed," Grassley told NBC News.
Grassley said Judiciary Committee staff members would meet with agency representatives later this week for a more complete briefing. He said the committee would conduct its own investigation only if members concluded that the Secret Service inquiry "was not doing the job."
Regardless, Grassley said, "I think you'll find their heads are going to roll." He added that he was worried that there could be a culture of misbehavior at the Secret Service, a concern that was echoed by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who has also been briefed on the case.
Collins told NBC News that her "instinct" is that this wasn't an isolated incident. She said that she pressed Sullivan and that he had told her the agency was "scrubbing the files" for possible previous incidents.
The Defense Department is separately investigating the 10 military members who have been implicated. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday that "we let the boss down" in Colombia.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is expected to brief leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee in the next couple of days, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told NBC News on Wednesday.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
Leave a Comment:
If priests and nuns can't refrain from it what makes you think a cia agent won't
Hey loser..... the United States Secret Service is NOT... I say again.. NOT the Central Intelligence Agency.
Please tell me you don't vote. You're surely too ignorant to understand any of the topics presented by a candidate.
XDm9mm: Shut up!! The dude is just making a point. Obviously, you're too ignorant to get that and get past the minor - MINOR - mistake. Try keeping your eye on the ball. You're not the comment police.
TroMo..
Excuse me??? The loser puts the USSS as part of the CIA??
My eye is definitely on the ball... and I hate to tell you, it's NOT a minor mistake. It's kind of along the lines of saying the newest air craft carrier is being delivered to the Army for tests at Fort Polk.
Question ?????
Why does the government want to do lie detector tests on these guys ????? They should have done it on the BIG BANK CEOs when they testified before congress . Something is wrong here.
bob1/28..
They definitely wouldn't work on CEO's.. they're pathological liars to begin with, so they wouldn't register lies.
The guys were getting laid by way of the oldest profession known to man. What is the big deal? Lame media loves the sex stories. Somehow, sex is more important than everything.
You have to be kidding yourself if you think this is the first time this happened. And guess what? It wont be the last! Who gives a rats behind. These guys were getting laid - this stuff happens all the time. They just decided to make a story of it b/c of the complaint by that one prostitute.
Get over it. Move on with your lives. There are more important things to worry about - your health, your eating habits, paying your bills, getting some work done, move on people!
Do you know the differance between the Secret Service and the CIA? the CIA pays their hookers. All this crap over 50 dollars worth of punetang.
Would you include worrying about comments other people are making? Might be time for you to move on and find something else to worry about.
bobi, bank CEOs don't protect the president nor are thy privy to senstitive government information. A very poor analogy on your part.
I think this is what we get for promoting the heterosexual lifestyle . . .
Lie Detector tests are a complete load of crap. There's a reason why they're not admissible in court.
To Fookin Funny!...LOL ... Give Secret Service agents Lie detector test cause one tried to not pay t a hooker ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Get a fookin grip! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These sleze-bag congressmen trying to divert attention on to anything else but themselves, think bag over the last couple of years at the sexual antics they performed, where was the lie detector test for them? This is designed to divert the attention of the populous
Mr President ......... these are the guys that look out for you and your families interest every day .... let it slide ..it's not in your interest to let this get out of hand like this ...
Thanks for the clarity.. I feel so enlightened by your genius. Next time I comment I will make sure I don't put anything that offends you. But I could honestly care less about the difference between the cia and secret service..so get what ever is up your yea outta here. Thanks
The two agents that triggered this whole mess are complete idiots. They managed to trash their careers along with the careers of 9 of their buddies as well as several military personnel over $50. I am sure that the other nine agents who were not involved in the dispute with the prostitute are furious with these to idiots since they have cost them their jobs as well. I am not saying that the other nine agents did not do anything wrong, they deserve to get canned for their behavior, but at least they were smart enough not to make a scene. I am sure that these two would be safer in custody right now than they are on the street as I am sure the other people that got caught up in this scandal because of them would like to kill these two idiots. The minute the prostitute started making a scene they should have just paid her to shut her up and get her out of there. But then their superior attitude got the better of their common sense, thinking that who would dare challenge them, after all they were secret service agents. They are supposed to be elite law enforcement personnel, instead they turned out to be nothing more than two idiots on a power trip thinking they could get away with anything. Now they have trashed their careers, the careers of nine other agents, and a number of military personnel because of their total arrogance.
No each of them that engaged in stupid behaivor is to blame.
Actually, it was a lot less then 50 dollars. It was the difference from her fee for her services and what they were willing to pay. This is what happens when you are so cheap...lol
Totally agree, but this happens all the time, some idiot makes a stink over nothing and decides this is the moment in time they are going to dig in end up losing far more then they would have gained.
I suspect these guys probably stiff hookers all the time and never had an issue because most countries outlaw prostitution, so the hooker doesn't run to the cops over it.
It will be interesting to find out which ones were married. Because if they weren't and since prostitution is legal, the only real story with the single ones is the drinking and bad press. Now the married ones got much bigger problems, mad as hell wives who just found out hubby is paying for sex.
No they don't. Actually the exact opposite.
Might make sense when discussing "to" [sic] idiots to spell it two idiots . . .
@Bassai
Which is exactly what I said if you bothered to read my entire comment, or even the entire portion you quoted. I guess reading comprehension is not your strong suit.
Should have just paid the damn $50 ... it would cost more than that to bribe the cop anyway you look at it... If it was me, pride aside (as if you have any left after paying for it).. it would be better to think of it as a "tip" for services rendered than keeping he after "curfew".
Sorry Charlie ... definately "NOT" a smooth move.
Nothing wrong with my comprehension. You on the other hand should give some more thought to what you compose.
Now we are going to spend millions of tax payer money on this investigation including members of congress (who should be doing something that matters)....... it's turning out to be some very expensive mating .......... maybe we should castrate all potential secret service agents so they do not get side tracked. Men do what men do...... it's no secret.......
Old School
Yes, very expensive. And all of this because of an argument over who should pay the $50.00. Fifty freakin bucks!
Or get women to do what men can't.
Gotta say these guys trying to short change the hooker.....yeah, that went well. No, wait, it blew up in their face. There is a pun there somewhere. There careers now have a price tag on them...$50.00.
Forget about some agree to take the test...it should be mandatory the test to become an SS agent...( this is not a 9 to 5 job).
Plus I bet they are trained to pass the test like the CIA does.
.........This is blasphemous against science. Polygraph tests are barely better than guessing and have been condemned by numerous scientific agencies.
It is mandatory as part of their Top Secret clearance. A polygraph test is conducted before they get the job, in which they ask questions on drug use, personal habits, etc.
Mike... ALL CIA employees HAVE to take a Polygraph before employed, and during employment after x number of years. They're not "trained" to pass them.
I'm aware of these things and am embarrassed for my country. It is as scientific as saying different races have different levels of intellect.
482933...
It's not mandatory for a Top Secret security clearance. There are only several organizations that require them. For the most part, those organizations are in the intelligence community.
LOL! That is like trying to settle the global warming argument one way or the other.
^ Your examples are inadmissible as you are trying to prove the scientific credibility of a technology by showing how people in the world perceive it. This is unacceptable. The national academy has condemned it and found that under ideal (i.e. lab) conditions, it is right ~60 percent of the time. This is a long settled issue in the scientific community. It is not a matter convincing you, it is a matter of fact and it shows how anything that is not a part of societal consciousness goes unquestioned.
Apparently not so settled.
Unlike most of you ... I'll admit up front that I have no idea the detail, scope and range of questions they may ask when dealing with train security agents. But - let's agree that it more than likely will be more stringent, probing than the one you might take to get a job at 7 - 11.
Just so you know, the polygraph is less important than the questions and the questions are less important than the person running the machine. The machine is mostly there mostly to set the stage as the backdrop for the interrigation.
If I understand correctly there were 21 US personnel and more than 20 Colombian women involved, which seems like a good ratio.
My question is who were the cheapskates who tried to share a woman?
The two agents who shared were the ones who caused it all..both they said were part of the elite agents assigned there. They didn't want to pay just $25 each (shared deal) total $50..so the hooker did what anyone would do if not paid for services..she called a cop.
Talk about sloppy seconds!
Probably the two supervisory agents. Management is usually the tightwads.
Looks like the Secret Service wasn't so secretly serviced.
While "several" have agreed to Polygraph tests, the results will be ambiguous at best.
For people that have great control over their emotions, take "stress" well and don't over react to any particular situation, they can get through a polygraph with relative ease. And all USSS agents have extreme control over their emotions.
The real information will come from the investigators in Columbia. They will determine from the "hotel" how many came that night, and possibly who they came with.
The sad part is their families will pay the price of their egos and libido. Their families, immediate and extended, neighbors and friends will ALL know why these men have lost their jobs. And they won't be able to get a job ANYWHERE that requires a security clearance. Idiots thought with the little head and not the big one. That and their ego is their downfall.
Not so sure about that... a Secret service agent, even if he has a history and is considered "damaged goods" is more valuable than some run of the mill ex-cop from Mayberry.
Matter of Fact - isn't G. Gordon Liddy still in the security business.
In the early 1980s Liddy joined forces with former Niles, Illinois Police Officer and co-owner of The Protection Group, Ltd., Thomas E. Ferraro, Jr., to start up a private security and countersurveillance firm called, G. Gordon Liddy & Associates. The firm was not a success
anyway - he does "know stuff"... good advice from folkswho should know.
Polygraph = junk science. They're accurate roughly 50% of the time, just like flipping a coin.
Yeah, pathological liers and trained professionals such as cia, secret service, fbi, ect can easily pass a polygraph. It just measures your pusle and heart rate when answering questions.
Guess that they need to hook them up to a plethysmograph and show them pictures of the hookers. Those results won't lie.
penile plethysmograph ??
Well I don't think the vaginal version would be of much use.
Based on statisitics - 1 out of 10 would not have a reaction. ;)
Republicans call those Patriots - as if you didn't know.
The lie detector test is a complete sham; results aren't admissible as evidence in court. The men implicated in this are already looking for new jobs, they've tarnished for years the image of an agency for no good reason, and it's entirely possible that numerous folks who had neither anything to do with this nor were in a position to stop it are going to have their careers tanked purely on the basis of "should have known" and rantings in the press.
I have compassion for the wives, girlfriends, and families of the philanderers; I'm certain that they're hurting and are in for a very rough ride because of the press. They are the real victims here.
This move shows how incompetent and self important every member of their organization is. They think they have jedi mind powers and can figure out when someone is lying or not. Polygraph tests are on par with astrology.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygraph#Validity
A mole within the Washington based Secret Service has leaked that the new mantra at the agency is, "I did not solicit sex from that Colombian ho". The mole further stated that the incident has been dubbed "Operation CoHo".
give me a break...you think this is the fist time this has happened?!?! they were probably groomed by the Clinton administration........they just want to get a little (columbian) stank on their hang-lo's
It's been going on for decades....
These guys are the ones who finally got caught.
Of course this is not the first time this happens. I grew up abroad and US military personnel were routinely at the same "hangouts" I and my friends found ourselves at.
This fiasco already blew up in everyone's face, now it's time for the politicos to do their "indignation theater bit". This is all very predictable. Once the story cools down, everyone is going to go back to their respective bikering. There is nothing to be gained by prolonging this story past the Kabuki theater.
So, here is my bet: once they have "thoroughly investigated" the incident, and spent thousands of our dollars, the idiots who started this and the poor suckers that got implicated by said idiots will still be fired and the whole thing will be swept under the rug.
There might be some fallout for a while for the next batch of "entourage" who will need to mind their P's and Q's (which will probably remind them of how much they want to kick these a-holes asses) and then it'll all go back to business as usual. The American public has the attention span of a gnat anyway.
JM... a gnat is being generous... an amoeba maybe.. but a gnat?
I just have to ask what kind of questions would you ask in this situation. I.E. While soliciting a prostitute in a country where it is a legal did you forget your wallet?
When can we demand that our politicians take polygraph tests as part of their application to public office????? Even the President of the United States didn't have to take one to get hired.
Actually, the POTUS does take a polygraph... but when you're dealing with politicians... especially lawyer politicians, they're already pathological liars and think nothing of lying about anything... to them it's natural.
Great. Let's waste some more money!
When they are on foreign assignment, they are to abide not only by that country's laws, but standing US laws as well. Not to even mention common sense......
Thanks Phluffergnut. You get it.
Would it not be prudent to also vet the Secret Service's " Office of Professional Responsibility at this point, since the trail leads all the way to the White House ?
I'd say you might want to consider changing your on-line moniker to unknowing1...
The WH has no involvement with this. And I'm NO Obama fan.
This is nothing more than what has been going on for dacades.. but these guys are the ones who got caught. The administration has no input into who the USSS hires other than possibly the very top dog who is a political appointment. Uhmmm... do they fall under DHS or Justice? Not that it matters.
Doesn't USSS fall under the Department of the Treasury?
Take the 5th like all other folks in the administration who are confronted in a like manner.
Don't be the next ones " under the Obama bus ".
Taking the 5th will get you a job loss in this case.
Rule #1 in the newly updated Secret Serviceman's Handbook:
"After tag-teaming a Columbian hooker with your fellow Secret Service agent, while in-country making security preparations, prior to an official visit by the U.S. President...just pay the bitch!"
I agree!!!
Charge it off as part of the " stimulus package ".
lie detector tests huh....? lets see how good the secret service can keep a secret.
6 months from now - the Book will be out.
A year later - the Movie.
Every one of these men deserves to get fired. "SECRET" Service?? I think not!! If you are in the Secret Service, you have got to be much smarter than this. Apparently these losers aren't so they shouldn't have the jobs they have. How stupid does the United States look now?
Cindy, if their clearances were revoked and not suspended, they have effectively been fired. They're on administrative leave to go through the formalities of being dismissed from the service pending the outcome of any hearings they'll have.
XD-Did your parents ever tell you that you are "retarded"?....Shut the heck up already.....Every post you make sounds like a retarded idiot posted it....By the way XD, an "idiot" is dumber than a "moron".....
You have no idea what you are talking about.
Rom1...
I see your reading comprehension is apparently very limited. I post the truth, not infantile prepubescent retorts like yourself.
I KNOW I've used several big words that you will need to look up... so I'll permit you the time to make another idiotic statement.
XD-usually people that use "big words" (did you actually use the term "big words"? how sophomoric).. are suffering from an inferiority complex.....These types usually ramble on and on about non relevant aspects in an effort to try to "impress"....In actuality, they just further the impression to others that they are essentially, well, "nuts".
Wait a minute!!!!!! My god, That's you!
Rom1... the reality of the situation is I know the truth, and you make suppositions.
And I'm not making comments in any manner that I don't normally use in every day speaking and writing.
Have a wonderful day.
Debriefed, warned, tagged and remain on staff until everything they were immediatly involved in is either completed, discontinued or advances past current operational protocols.
... just guessing.
These people need sex too. I say less government. Why are there laws that are created by someone else's morals. I don't see a thing wrong with giving money to someone for sex if they are willing. What is the difference if money exchanges hands or not. Free sex is legal but bought sex is not? That is just stupid. What are these guys supposed to do? They can't go out and find a date in some foreign countries it is to dangerous. There needs to be an arrangement made to get these young vibrant people a basic need. A person's actions can be affected by the lack of sex.
Ghost... why don't you tell that to the guys wives at home? Or doesn't that matter to you?
Besides, if you want to to buy some just go to the infamous Mustang Ranch, or any ot the other brothels in NV.
Just as they can be affected by a temporary loss of blood supply to the brain. Which is what these yahoos experienced.
That guy has to be pulling our legs.
Don't want the job - then don't join up...
They don't just go down to the parking lot at the Quikie Mart and pickup any young idiot hanging around the front door asking for cigarettes, beer purchasing services to teens or spare change.
Lie detector isn't accurate!
i took one a couple of months ago just for the heck of it! knowing i was telling the truth and it kept coming back saying i was lying! i wasn't order by no court or any legal agency it was something personal between my Girl & I, the fact that you get nervous just to hear the question triggers this chills in you that automatically makes you fail! I know you wonder why get nervous if you are innocent! well just to imagine that if you fail its going to make you guilty regardless of the truth makes you worry!!!
I say No lie detector!!! instead check cameras, videos etc. you can't go wrong like that!
Should this information always be leaked? (Just asking to suggest security concerns).
Now that this is so, would it not be problematic to consider the punishment for these agents, would they have be put on ice for a few years, until their knowledge as not relevant. Guantanamo may be a valuable place for this sort of embarrassment since it already has a reputation.
Sample lie detector questions: Did you contract crabs? Do you experience burning during urination? Did your contact with Colombian nationals involve acts such as a snowball or dirty sanchez?