Secret Service Scandal Investigation Involves Brother Of GOP Senate Candidate

[bathroommonkey76]

Source: Huffington Post

Former agent and current Maryland Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Dan Bongino spoke out Monday about his former colleagues at the currently scandal-plagued U.S. Secret Service. The agency is facing scrutiny over allegations that agents brought prostitutes back to their Colombia hotel during the president's visit to the country last week.

The Secret Service announced later Monday that it had pulled the top security clearance of 11 agents and uniformed division personnel over the incident.

Bongino said Monday on NBC's "Nightly News With Brian Williams" that the scandal "was devastating to me along with the fraternity of Secret Service brothers out there."

Bongino went on to call the incident "a national embarrassment."

But the GOP senate candidate concluded on a more sympathetic note. "I know everyone in the case," he said. "I'm not apologizing for anybody's behavior ... But lives are changed permanently. The ones I've talked to -- their families are just beaten up by this."

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/17/secret-service-scandal-gop-senate-candidate_n_1431488.html

[Laurian]

1. I saw him with Chris Matthews yesterday and thought he was being

awfully supportive of the Secret Service considering the disgrace the Cartagena detail brought to the organization. Makes sense, now. Damn, you just never know what is motivating people these days!

[bathroommonkey76]

4. I also watched that interview yesterday.

For those of you who missed it; here is the link to the video:

http://hardballblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/16/11231951-alarming-scandal-for-secret-service

[Daniel537]

9. Saw it too and i thought the same thing.

This confirms everything.

[freshwest]

2. Got some weird thoughts about how this happened and how it impacts security.

Get rid of the ones that have been there, proabably all of this time, and bring in newbies?

And this many went crazy at the same time?

I mean, we've all seen these guys at work, they're very serious about everything. Or so it seems.

[jwirr]

8. I share your weird thoughts. How are these guys hired and are they some of the rethugs that

W put into many government agencies when he was dismantling government? They seem to share some very rethug family values.

Also Jenk said that he doesn't care what they were doing on their own time but that is something I think he is wrong about - they were sent to that country to do a job and the job was not over until our President was done with his visit.

[freshwest]

11. Yes, they're on the taxpayer's dime every minute overseas. This is creepy.

I wondered if they'd been drugged, for so many to have been involved. I mean these guys are the absolute poster boys for uptight. And they were on the clock since they weren't at their own homes.

Now I wonder if their replacements can be trusted, and if this is a warning to Obama that the rethugs can undermine his security anywhere. I don't believe in coincidences, any more than FDR did.

[grasswire]

14. It's hard to know if there is a deeper meaning or darker side to this.

Those of us who watched some seasons of 24 are sure to consider the possibility of a sinister deeper plot. It has to be considered. It's just astounding that so many people with access to the president's minute-by-minute schedule could make themselves blackmailable and (probably) drunk while on foreign assignment.

[freshwest]

16. It may just be stupidity. But these are dangerous times and this seems sloppy.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

17. I'm quite sure Bush/Cheney left lots of "sleepers" in the federal govt

The SC is simply pissing on us in public. But the scarier thought is the ones we don't know about.

[jwirr]

18. I have thought that from the first. He filled empty slots with people who thought just like him and

had just as loose morals and they like the Tbaggers will do anything that they want to get their way. The enemy from within.

[Nay]

5. I bet their families "were beaten up over this" -- esp the spouses who just found out exactly

what was going on, and how they were gonna have to see a doc to make sure they don't have any STDs.

[bathroommonkey76]

6. Yeah these guys are in a heap of trouble.

I don't feel sorry for any of them at all.

I sure hope they had their fun. I read the NY Daily News article about their adventures about the 'Pley Club'. $24 to $84 for bottles of spirits and beers and they got their pick of young Columbian women. It sounds like these goons were in a college fraternity. Kick them to the curb and bring responsible men and women into the fold. President Obama deserves better respect and protection!

[shcrane71]

10. Secret service agents who use prostitutes on a business trip definitely fail to

put the president's security as their top priority. These men should be forced to consider other forms of employment.

[marshall gaines]

7. they

they knew someone was watching the watchers , so I don't get it

[winstars]

12. Wasn't it "Boys Night Out" also in Dallas 11/21/63??? nt

[Tx4obama]

13. From the OP article ...

<SNIP>

Bongino did not mention one family affected by the scandal -- his own. In an interview with The Huffington Post, Bongino confirmed that his brother, Joe Bongino, was on the Secret Service detail that traveled to Colombia.

"He was on the team that made some bad decisions, but multiple witnesses have said he was not a part of the prostitution," Bongino said, "He is not part of the prostitution investigation."

Bongino said that his brother has given statements as part of the investigation.

When HuffPost asked why Bongino hadn't mentioned his brother was there, Bongino said, "It's not my place." Besides, he said -- nobody asked.

<SNIP>

Well, if his brother gave statements - then YES he is 'part of the investigation'.
Those GOPers sure do try to spin stuff


Edited to add...

The article also says he said:

Bongino added: "I’m not the first candidate to have a family member in a bad scrape." His brother did not respond a request for comment. ...<SNIP>
"Again, this is devastating for me professionally and personally."

So, if his brother wasn't involved he would not have said that! LOL

[lonestarnot]

15. There is always one of those CONs buried in every scandal somewhere!

K & R!

[yellowcanine]

19. Oopsie - didn't mention his brother initially.

Ben Cardin beat Mikey Steele with 54% of the vote first time around. I am guessing he will do better than that against this guy if this is an example of how he handles himself around the press.

[Beacool]

20. Why is this an issue?

Most SS are Republicans.

This is not about politics. It's about using very poor judgment while representing the president and the nation at an international conference. Those who were proven to have partaken in this behavior will probably be fired.

[Tom Ripley]

21. "Pull on my ear wire...hard!" "Call me Mister Youngblood!"