Author Topic: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal  (Read 17179 times)

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Offline trapeze

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The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« on: April 14, 2012, 02:12:10 PM »
There are two different stories emerging from people involved in this situation.

The first story is that...

Quote
“They had arranged to have a bunch of prostitutes come by and one of the agents refused to pay a prostitute,” said author Ronald Kessler, one of the leading experts on the Secret Service. “Yes, doubly good judgement there.”

The second story is...

Quote
A former Secret Service member told The New York Times that only one one agent tried to purchase the services of a hooker — but the whole team was recalled as part of the investigation.


I have to say that the second story sounds more plausible in that it only involves on person rather than two or more. It is difficult to believe that an organization like the Secret Service could arrive in Colombia (or anywhere else) and just abandon good judgement, years of training, morality, etc. en masse.

After all, for the people who were actually involved in using the services of a prostitute and those, if any, involved in covering it up this will be the end of their careers at the Secret Service. They will never be employed by the federal government again. Finding work elsewhere will be difficult. It's just hard to believe that this has actually happened.

Which of course, leads me to think that there might be a third story...that this might be a total fabrication invented by the host country's government in order to cause the USA embarrassment.

The truth will come out eventually but for now this is the turd that the media has left on the floor.
« Last Edit: April 14, 2012, 02:16:41 PM by trapeze »
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Offline radioman

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2012, 02:21:01 PM »
I immediately suspected that your 3rd story is probably what is going on here. Obama has really dumped all over Colombia, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were dong a lil payback.
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Offline trapeze

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2012, 02:41:48 PM »
This CBS News story goes into more detail on the first option...that there were several people involved and that it actually happened.

I have read the book about the Secret Service by Ron Kessler. It was a light read that contained mostly anecdotal information about the Secret Service (no information about procedures, of course) and the presidents who they served since Kennedy. Lots of stories about what assholes the presidents and their families were (with some notable exceptions). So, mainly a gossip book. There was some discussion of how poorly financed the Secret Service was and how they had to do much with little. Kessler works for NewsMax so take that for what it's worth.

I actually have personal experience with the Secret Service. In one of my previous employment situations I spent about a week working with one of these same SS advance teams. All in all, I was with the team for about 60 hours prior to a visit by the first President Bush. If there was any lack of funding that prevented them from doing their job properly at that time (twenty years ago) I did not see it. I will not believe that the manpower for a presidential visit is any less now than it was then. It involves several dozen SS personnel and about a dozen people from the US Army Communications group. The amount of detail in preparations is staggering. I cannot imagine how they could have done what they did and found any time for hookers and/or heavy drinking (also alleged) and still complete their work in the time provided before the arrival of the president. I mean, I was with them for 60 hours but they were working around the clock with little to no time for sleep let alone fun and games with hookers. So...for me, this is all a little bit hard to believe.

Now, on the other hand, the Bushes and the Reagans have utilized this stuff a lot less than Clinton and O'Bongo. The Democrat presidents seem to view Air Force One as their own personal travel service and, according to Kessler, treat the SS protection detail as personal slaves. So maybe there has been some fatigue set in over the last three and a half years as O'Bongo and family have jetted all over the world at several times the frequency of GWB, his father or President Reagan. If that is the case I don't see it as an excuse for falling down on the job...they should have quit rather than allow standards to fall. But I can see the fatigue factor. As I said, you would not believe the amount of advance work that goes into each and every stop a president makes outside of DC and the immediate area.

From Kessler's book:

Quote
In the summer of 2008, the Secret Service asked for and received an extra $9.5 million to cover unexpected  cost of protecting the candidates, in addition to the $106.7 million already budgeted. In all the Secret Service protected the candidates on 5,141 travel stops. More than 2.8 million people passed throughout the thirty five hundred Secret Service magnetometers.

This did not include screening 1.5 million people at events attended by the president and other protects, or the screening at the two national conventions, in Denver and Saint Paul...

From FNC:

Quote
New details are emerging about the incident at the Hotel Caribe, where the Secret Service advance team was staying ahead of Obama's three-day visit to the country.

A senior law enforcement official said the dispute started when hotel employees witnessed inappropriate behavior.

An employee approached at least one Secret Service agent and demanding that he pay extra money for having an additional overnight guest in his room.

The agent balked, which eventually resulted in a confrontation and forced diplomatic intervention.

The official said the guest involved apparently was a prostitute. It remains unclear whether more agents and more prostitutes were involved.

A hotel employee told the Associated Press the agents were drinking heavily during their stay.

The senior law enforcement official stressed the matter is under investigation and officials are still trying to corroborate initial details.

And this:

Quote
The embarrassing incident has quickly eclipsed issues addressed at the summit such as foreign trade, the economy; drug trafficking, immigration and collaboration among the 33 Western Hemisphere countries.

I remember when the USA was too respected for anything like this to happen. By "this" I mean, either the SS screwing up or a foreign gov setting us up for something like this.
« Last Edit: April 14, 2012, 04:30:13 PM by trapeze »
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Offline BigAlSouth

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2012, 04:54:15 PM »
"Betcha the wayward Agent was hired during the Bush Administration." -- Leftist Tool
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are outnumbered by those who vote for a living.
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charlesoakwood

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2012, 05:34:24 PM »

"The fish rots from the head down."

Offline trapeze

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2012, 05:44:54 PM »

"The fish rots from the head down."


Well in that case you would be referring to Tim Giethner who runs the Treasury since that is where the SS operates out of.
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charlesoakwood

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2012, 05:49:56 PM »

I was thinking of the man that hired him; however, Tim is fetid enough for the job.

Offline trapeze

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2012, 06:22:50 PM »
LINK

Quote
CARTAGENA, Colombia — A U.S. lawmaker says a "significant number" of Secret Service agents involved in an alleged prostitution scandal at an international summit brought women back to their hotel rooms before President Barack Obama arrived in Colombia.

U.S. Rep. Peter King, who was briefed Saturday on the investigation, tells The Associated Press that "close to" all 11 of the agents involved had women in the rooms at their hotel, which was separate from the one where Obama is now staying.

The New York Republican says the women were "presumed to be prostitutes," but investigators are interviewing the agents. King heads the House Homeland Security Committee.

Not good.

Kind of capping off O'Bongo's terrible, horrible, no good, miserable, very bad week.
In a doomsday scenario, hippies will be among the first casualties. So not everything about doomsday will be bad.

Offline John Florida

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2012, 06:35:48 PM »
LINK

Quote
CARTAGENA, Colombia — A U.S. lawmaker says a "significant number" of Secret Service agents involved in an alleged prostitution scandal at an international summit brought women back to their hotel rooms before President Barack Obama arrived in Colombia.

U.S. Rep. Peter King, who was briefed Saturday on the investigation, tells The Associated Press that "close to" all 11 of the agents involved had women in the rooms at their hotel, which was separate from the one where Obama is now staying.

The New York Republican says the women were "presumed to be prostitutes," but investigators are interviewing the agents. King heads the House Homeland Security Committee.

Not good.

Kind of capping off O'Bongo's terrible, horrible, no good, miserable, very bad week.



  More please.
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Offline trapeze

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2012, 06:55:01 PM »
 More please.

Which I am fine with as long as it doesn't come at the expense of law enforcement or the military. The rest of the federal employees can go suck it.
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charlesoakwood

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #10 on: April 14, 2012, 06:58:01 PM »

Hmmm, the article specificaly said "women in the rooms".


Offline trapeze

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #11 on: April 14, 2012, 06:59:32 PM »
So now the US military is involved...

Quote
CARTAGENA, Colombia — Five U.S. military members have been ordered confined to quarters over possible involvement in inappropriate conduct at the same hotel here as the 11 Secret Service agents sent home in an unfolding scandal involving local prostitutes.

Making the announcement Saturday, United States Southern Command commander Gen. Douglas Fraser said he is “disappointed by the entire incident and that this behavior is not in keeping with the professional standards expected of members of the United States military.”

LINK

I would assume that the "military" members that are alleged to be involved are the Army Communications group. They are responsible for setting up a mobile command post that allows the president to communicate with the military when he is away from DC and not on Air Force One. The setup is immense.
« Last Edit: April 14, 2012, 07:10:21 PM by trapeze »
In a doomsday scenario, hippies will be among the first casualties. So not everything about doomsday will be bad.

Online Pandora

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #12 on: April 14, 2012, 07:36:31 PM »
If it happened the way it is said it happened, I suspect it's because of Affirmative Action hirees.
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Offline Glock32

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #13 on: April 14, 2012, 07:59:52 PM »
Colombia had become very cooperative with the US during the latter Bush administration. We were in turn helping them in their campaign against the Marxist narco-guerrila group FARC. There is no love lost between Colombia and Venezuela (Hugo provides material support for FARC).

Colombia may have seen what happened with Obongo demanding the reinstatement of that Marxist usurper in Honduras and decided on a little preemptive embarrassment. If the US and Colombian government were on the same page, they could have both seen to it that this embarrassing issue was quietly swept under the rug. It wasn't, so I do wonder if it might be a finger in the eye.
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Offline John Florida

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #14 on: April 14, 2012, 08:03:30 PM »
  All I've ever heard about the secret service is that the were absolute pros this just doesn't pass the smell test.
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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #15 on: April 14, 2012, 09:54:00 PM »
Quote
...Making the announcement Saturday, United States Southern Command commander Gen. Douglas Fraser said he is “disappointed by the entire incident and that this behavior is not in keeping with the professional standards expected of members of the United States military.”

Because soldiers don't party with hookers.
 ::)
I'm jus' sayin'.
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Offline Glock32

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #16 on: April 14, 2012, 10:36:16 PM »
Quote
...Making the announcement Saturday, United States Southern Command commander Gen. Douglas Fraser said he is “disappointed by the entire incident and that this behavior is not in keeping with the professional standards expected of members of the United States military.”

Because soldiers don't party with hookers.
 ::)
I'm jus' sayin'.

Hell, the Roman Legions had, uh, "camp followers" who went with them everywhere they marched.
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Offline trapeze

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #17 on: April 14, 2012, 11:56:37 PM »
 All I've ever heard about the secret service is that the were absolute pros this just doesn't pass the smell test.
Some theories based on my (albeit limited) experience:

The SS are pros.

Which would lead me to believe that, if this story turns out to be true, the problem was with the leadership of the advance team. If the boss was doing it then it doesn't take long for his underlings to follow. It doesn't happen the other way around.

If it turns out that the military people mentioned were also involved then I would further predict that this type of loose disciplinary situation had been going on for quite a while.

The story said that they were all in the same hotel...both the SS advance team and the military people. The only military people who are housed that closely with the SS are the communication group. They work together...all the time...trip after trip. So a break down in discipline in one group could quite easily infect the other group given enough time.

Just my thoughts on the matter. If it's true. Which, sadly, it looks as if at least some of it might be.

Better to have a scandal like this, though, than one that involves a dead protectee.

In a doomsday scenario, hippies will be among the first casualties. So not everything about doomsday will be bad.

Offline AlanS

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #18 on: April 15, 2012, 09:53:45 AM »
After all, for the people who were actually involved in using the services of a prostitute and those, if any, involved in covering it up this will be the end of their careers at the Secret Service. They will never be employed by the federal government again. Finding work elsewhere will be difficult.

Isn't this reason for promotion in this administration?
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Offline Sectionhand

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Re: The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal
« Reply #19 on: April 15, 2012, 10:30:09 AM »
Secret Service can now add "Friend of the Working Girl" to its Mission Statement .   ::falldownshocked::