Former Secret Service Agent Cites “Systemic Problem”

The woman who was supposed to help the Secret Service rise from the ashes of scandal has now resigned amid a scandal of her own. A scandal that, in retrospect, was probably predictable considering her stated goal was to make the White House a bit more open and inviting. You know, like Disney World (where, incidentally, Julia Pierson used to work).

Julia Pierson was appointed to head the Secret Service in the aftermath of the prostitution scandal in 2012. She took the reins from then director Mark Sullivan early in 2013. Since that time, she has worked to make the White House a friendlier place for visitors. She claimed to be inspired by the safe but inviting environment she recalled from a previous job she held at Disney World.

Former Secret Service Agent (and Maryland Congressional Candidate) Dan Bongino has spoken out about the recent lapses in security, citing a systemic problem that requires immediate attention.

The Secret Service has often been forced to take an unwelcome and inappropriate subordinate role in the decision-making process surrounding the movement of the President.

The importance of DC “optics” has become a DC obsession, and if preserving “optics” at the expense of security is necessary, then it is a sacrifice that too many of the President's “yes-men” are willing to make. When you combine this with a very small number of self-absorbed and vindictive high-ranking Secret Service agents who care more about their next jobs and their “contacts”…the recipe for failure is there.

The one question that no one has yet answered to my satisfaction: where was this plan to “make the White House more open and inviting” during last year's government shutdown?

All joking aside, if this truly is a systemic problem, it is one that all Americans should want addressed. The safety of the President and the security of our governing officials are not partisan issues – nor should they be. We should all stand in support of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson as he calls for a review of recent events by “a distinguished panel of experts.”