The Secret Service said Thursday that a member of Vice President JD Vance's protective detail has been removed pending an administrative investigation and potential criminal inquiry into allegations of compromising operational and information security.
Anthony Guglielmi, the Secret Service's chief of communications, said in a statement, "A member of the Vice Presidential Protective Division is the subject of an administrative investigation, and potential criminal inquiry, involving allegations of compromising operational and information security. While we will not comment on the specifics of this matter, one principle is unequivocal: any conduct that potentially threatens the safety of a protectee will not be tolerated."
A separate news report said the agent is suspected of leaking information that was used in another report detailing alleged Secret Service complaints about Vance's travel, and the Secret Service has not disclosed the agent's identity or the nature of the information allegedly leaked.
Some agents complained internally about being asked to join the vice president on Marine Two for a flight with his son to a golf lesson at Joint Base Andrews, a trip that was canceled at the last minute because of severe weather, and agents have shared concerns about being asked on trips and assignments they consider an inappropriate use of government resources.
An administration official said Vance's travel duties often shift unexpectedly because important meetings and events override previous plans, creating strain on the Secret Service, and the official added that Vance's young children and his efforts to spend time with them present a new aspect of the protectees' mandate. The official also said the Marine Two helicopter trip from the vice president's official residence to Joint Base Andrews is the most common route and requires a smaller pull on local law enforcement and other resources than a motorcade.
Vance and his family have round-the-clock Secret Service protection, and the vice president's primary residence is at the Naval Observatory in Washington. Earlier this month the family was preparing to lease an additional house in Middleburg, Virginia, about 40 miles outside the capital, and the Secret Service was making additional security arrangements for the property.
The vice president's office did not respond to a request for comment on the detail leader's suspension, and Vance's office declined to comment to reporters about the agent's removal. The White House also declined to comment on the investigation.
On Wednesday, Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the agency was operating in what he described as the most dangerous threat environment of his 24-year career, and agents have opened nearly 10,000 threat investigations since January. Officials said the increase is being driven by online threats, lone actors, ideological extremism, foreign adversaries and individuals experiencing mental health crises.
The administration has taken a hard-line position against leaks, issuing subpoenas to reporters who covered security concerns related to the new Air Force One and prompting a judge to schedule a hearing on a challenge to those subpoenas; the Justice Department has said people it suspects of leaking classified information, not reporters, are the target of the investigation.
Usha Vance, the second lady, gave birth to the couple's fourth child over the weekend.