An agent from the Secret Service assigned to Vice President JD Vance is currently under internal investigation and has been placed on administrative leave due to suspicions of leaking information related to a news article that contained specifics about Vance’s travel, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Another source confirmed that authorities have pinpointed an individual believed to be the source of the leaks regarding Vance.
The Secret Service acknowledged the ongoing inquiry in a statement released Thursday morning but refrained from disclosing the specific allegations against the agent.
“One member of the Vice Presidential Protective Division is under an administrative investigation and possible criminal inquiry regarding claims of breaching operational and information security,” said Anthony Guglielmi, Chief of Communications for the Secret Service, in the statement. “While we cannot comment on the details of this situation, it is clear that any behavior that compromises the trust between a protectee and their security team is fundamentally incompatible with our mission and will not be tolerated.”
The Secret Service further emphasized that “any actions that could endanger a protectee’s safety will not be accepted.”
According to the first source, the agency’s internal affairs division is conducting the review, and it remains uncertain whether any disciplinary action or criminal charges will result from it.
The agent is thought to have contributed to a recent article on MS NOW, which highlighted dissatisfaction among agents regarding the strain that Vance’s personal travel plans were placing on his security detail. The report also detailed Vance’s intended travel, including a flight with his son on a Marine Corps helicopter to a golf lesson, which was ultimately canceled.
There have been ongoing worries within law enforcement and military circles about the difficulties Vance’s often erratic travel schedule imposes on the numerous personnel responsible for his security and logistics, sources informed USdaily. This issue has been particularly significant for the Secret Service, which is grappling with staffing shortages that require agents to endure extended hours in a high-pressure protective role with minimal margin for error, according to sources.
However, the MS NOW article drew the ire of officials from the Secret Service, FBI, and the White House, who expressed anger over the operational details that were made public, the first source revealed. A White House representative condemned the leaks regarding the Vice President’s movements as “treasonous,” noting that the Vice President and his family felt anxious about the implications of these disclosures for their security detail. A former agent remarked to USdaily that the leak reveals an “intrinsic vulnerability within the Secret Service” that presents operational security risks.
“You have signaled the movements of two protectees, one of whom is a minor, which puts them in a vulnerable position. The primary objective is to keep them out of the public eye,” the former agent stated, adding, “This exemplifies negligence of the highest order.”
The MS NOW article indicated that there is a “growing morale issue” among the agents tasked with protecting Vance and his family. The piece reported that agents were discontented with last-minute travel requests, which forced them to cancel personal days or alter their plans. It also noted that the intended use of a government helicopter for a golf lesson was unprecedented, with current and former Secret Service supervisors stating that previous vice presidents avoided utilizing such costly government resources for their children’s schedules.
A representative for MS NOW has not yet replied to a request for comment.
This situation unfolds as the Trump administration has promised to take strong measures against what it considers unauthorized leaks to the media.
Earlier this month, four journalists from The New York Times received subpoenas requiring them to testify before a federal grand jury related to an investigation into their articles about security features of a new presidential aircraft that was gifted to President Donald Trump by Qatar. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, a key aide to Trump, and FBI Director Kash Patel were involved in orchestrating that investigation, with some officials reportedly asked to surrender their phones to investigators on White House property, sources familiar with the situation previously disclosed to USdaily.
This story has been updated with additional information.
USdaily’s Holmes Lybrand, Betsy Klein, and Brian Stelter contributed to this report.
