The Secret Service’s Preparation for, and Response to, the Events of January 6, 2021 – (REDACTED) – [August 2, 2024], “the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) released a redacted version of the January 6th DHS OIG United States Secret Service report to the American public. This 82-page report details the United States Secret Service (USSS) failed response to multiple events on January 6, 2021. On January 6, USSS was responsible for securing President Trump’s speech at the Ellipse, protecting and moving then Vice President Pence, and protecting and moving Vice President-elect Harris. This report identified serious failures by the USSS with respect to communications with other law enforcement agencies and the USSS failing to properly secure the DNC where the USSS failed to detect an explosive device in front of the Democratic National Committee where Vice President-elect Harris was driven within feet of the device. Upon review of the redacted report, Chairman Loudermilk is releasing the following top takeaways and areas of concern.

1. USSS Admits to Interfering with DHS OIG Investigation. 
The USSS, in its Management Response, sent by former USSS Director, Kim Cheatle, admitted to delaying and interfering with the DHS OIG investigation. Specifically, Cheatle stated she considered asking Secretary Mayorkas to invoke his statutory authority to block the review in its entirety. Cheatle did not confirm if she ever asked Secretary Mayorkas to block the DHS OIG review or not. Cheatle also wrote that USSS wanted to internally review records before USSS employees provided the records to the DHS OIG. This is highly questionable and could have prevented USSS employees from being fully transparent with the DHS OIG.   Additionally, Cheatle cited the DHS OIG’s request for communications from “most senior levels of Secret Service leadership” including the Director, and Deputy Director, and one DHS OIG request as one reason they did not comply. It is not clear why Cheatle thought that the senior-level leadership at USSS should be exempt from the DHS OIG’s scrutiny. Cheatle subsequently references the Presidential Records Act and the Privacy Act, which do not apply to Inspectors General requests for information…”