Secret Service suspended six agents without pay after first Trump assassination attempt

The Secret Service suspended six agents who worked the rally at which President Trump was shot in the ear by a would-be assassin.

The agents were suspended without pay or benefits for periods ranging from 10 to 42 days, according to a release put out by the Secret Service.

When the agents returned to work, they were given restricted duty or roles with fewer operational responsibilities.

“One year ago, I was by President Trump’s side when a lone gunman attempted to assassinate him in Butler, Pennsylvania,” Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement Thursday.

“Since President Trump appointed me as director of the United States Secret Service, I have kept my experience on July 13 top of mind, and the agency has taken many steps to ensure such an event can never be repeated in the future,” he said. “Nothing is more important to the Secret Service than the safety and security of our protectees.”

Mr. Curran said he’s “committed to ensuring our agency is fully equipped, resourced, and aligned to carry out our important mission each and every day.”

The country was shocked when a burst of bullets was fired towards Mr. Trump at the rally. At the time, Mr. Trump was poised to accept the party’s presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention.

Bullets shot by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks grazed Mr. Trump’s ear, leaving him bloody on the face as agents ran to cover him. Corey Comperatore, a firefighter attending the rally, was killed in the attack, and two others in the rally crowd were severely injured.

Crooks, who was shooting from atop a building nearby, was killed by Secret Service counter-snipers.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned the same month as the attack under pressure from Congress. She said she took “full responsibility for the security lapse.”

A report from a bipartisan House task force created to investigate the incident found that the attack was “preventable.”

Evidence the group had obtained showed inadequate planning and coordination between the Secret Service and its law enforcement partners before the rally and “fragmented lines of communication and unclear chains of command” on the day of the event.

However, the final report said the thwarting of the second attempted assassination attempt on Mr. Trump’s life at his Florida golf course in September “demonstrated how properly executed protective measures can foil an attempted assassination.”

The release said that the agency has implemented 21 out of the 46 recommendations currently made by Congressional oversight agencies. Another 16 are in progress and nine are addressed to non-Secret Service stakeholders.

Some of the reforms made include making sure there are clear lines of accountability and communication with local law enforcement partners, and the creation of an Aviation and Airspace Security division that will maintain the aerial surveillance capabilities of the agency, among others.

“The reforms made over this last year are just the beginning, and the agency will continue to assess its operations, review recommendations and make additional changes as needed,” the release said.

On social media, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, Florida Republican, said the suspension of the six agents was appropriate.

“Given the shocking security failures that day, this is the absolute bare minimum,” she wrote.

Rep. Mike Kelly, who previously served as chairman of the task force on the assassination attempt, applauded the agency’s “efforts to implement transparency and accountability to the Secret Service.”

“It is critical that we remain dedicated to returning the Secret Service to the gold standard of protection as they modernize their zero-fail mission,” the Pennsylvania Republican said in a statement.