The US Secret Service has placed at least 5 agents on leave, including the head of the Pittsburgh field office, as part of the investigation into the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump last month, citing sources familiar with the matter, CBS News reports, UNN writes.
Details
According to two sources in federal law enforcement, one Trump security agent and three others from the Pittsburgh office were among those furloughed. It is unclear whether all of these actions were disciplinary, as agents are routinely placed on leave during investigations for a variety of reasons, including mental health concerns.
The Secret Service's Internal Affairs Division continues to investigate how a 20-year-old gunman was able to fire eight shots from a rooftop near where Trump was speaking in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, including one shot that grazed the Republican presidential candidate's ear.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi refused to confirm that the agents had been furloughed, saying he would not comment on personnel matters. But he did say that "a review of the service's mission is ongoing, and we are examining the processes, procedures and factors that led to this operational failure.
He added that the Secret Service "requires the highest professional standards from its personnel, and any identified and substantiated violations of policy will be investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility for possible disciplinary action.
Addendum
Trump held his first outdoor rally since the shooting this week. He was surrounded by bulletproof glass as a precautionary measure.