WASHINGTON, D.C., May 26, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — The 41 Secret Service employees who investigators say reviewed private agency records of Utah’s Rep. Jason Chaffetz have been disciplined, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Thursday.
Chaffetz has been an outspoken critic of the Secret Service. As chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, he has held several hearings to investigate scandals and questionable decisions within the Secret Service.
Shortly after the start of one controversial hearing last year, protected information from Chaffetz’s files — including a 2003 job application, unsuccessful, for a position with the Secret Service — was accessed and leaked to the news media.
Chaffetz has called the leak a clear attempt to intimidate him into backing off of the investigation. Johnson said he “was appalled” by the incident.
The actions of 57 agency employees, 11 of them senior officials, were investigated in the case. The leak, which happened in spring of last year, ended up causing another embarrassment for the agency.
One person involved in the case has resigned, Johnson said. Punishments for the other 40 who were disciplined range from a letter of reprimand to suspension without pay for as many as 45 days.
Johnson did not comment on the identities of the employees involved in the case, who are protected by federal privacy laws — the same ones that should have protected Chaffetz’s information.
Johnson said no evidence was found suggesting discipline was warranted against Secret Service director Joseph Clancy or his deputy director.
