Lead Secret Service agent for Butler Trump rally was 'lacking competence and experience': whistleblower

Whistleblowers have alleged that decisions were made to put a Secret Service agent in charge who was inexperienced and incompetent at the job at Trump's July 13 Butler, Pennsylvania rally that ended with an assassination attempt undertaken by gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, according to a letter sent to Acting USSS Director Ronald Rowe by Senator Josh Hawley's (R-MO) office.  

The letter from Hawley stated, "New whistleblower allegations to my office directly question decisions made by Secret Service's lead site agent principally responsible for securing the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania." 

"One whistleblower with direct knowledge of the event alleges to my office that this lead site agent was well-known in campaign circles as lacking competence and experience in the role. This specific allegation follows similar public reports that this agent was 'new' to the local field office and had 'relatively little experience'. The whistleblower further alleges that this individual was, as part of securing the site, specifically responsible for line-of-sight concerns," the letter added.  

Hawley's letter says that another whistleblower alleged that the lead agent made poor choices that also compromised the overall security of the event in Bulter, Pennsylvania, where Trump was nearly killed by would-be assassin Crooks. "Campaign material such as flags were permitted to be placed around the stage and catwalk used by the former president, despite the fact that these items were typically prohibited because of how they affected the line-of-sight of those agents responsible for identifying threats," the letter added as an example of a poor decision from the lead agent.  

Additionally, whistleblowers said that the USSS did not check IDs when they issued credentials for access to the restricted area of the rally. Hawley pressed Rowe during a hearing last week, where the Missouri Senator grew frustrated that no USSS agents had been let go in response to the security failure. "What more do you need to investigate to know that there were critical enough failures that some individuals ought to be held accountable?" Hawley said at the time.  

Hawley wrote in closing demanding that Rowe put the lead agent on leave "I urge you to suspend the lead site agent from all Secret Service duties immediately while these claims are investigated."