A Secret Service agent assigned to Vice President JD Vance’s security detail has been suspended and placed on administrative leave after allegedly leaking sensitive information to the media. The investigation is being conducted by the Secret Service’s internal affairs division, and officials have not yet decided whether the agent will face only disciplinary action or criminal charges.
1+According to a CNN report published Thursday, a source involved in the investigation said the agent is suspected of providing information that formed the basis for an article recently published by MS NOW about the conduct of Vance’s security team. Another source confirmed that authorities have already identified the person they believe is behind the leaks concerning the vice president.
The MS NOW article claimed that Secret Service agents accompanying Vance expressed frustration with the unusual burden created by his personal and packed schedule. The publication also revealed operational details about the vice president’s travel, including a plan to fly Vance and his son by Marine helicopter to a golf lesson—a plan that was ultimately canceled.
1+According to CNN, it was specifically the exposure of operational details about the planned travel route that sparked the most anger among senior officials at the Secret Service, the White House, and the FBI. Those sources viewed the publication of such information as a security risk and a breach of security protocols for one of the most protected figures in the United States.
The Secret Service has not yet issued an official response to the matter, and CNN reported that it reached out to the agency for comment. A spokesperson for MS NOW also did not respond to a request for comment at this stage.
The incident comes at a time when the Trump administration is intensifying its fight against media leaks. The administration has declared in recent months that it will take a tough line against employees who pass along information without authorization, and as part of this policy, four New York Times reporters were subpoenaed earlier this month to testify before a federal grand jury. The subpoenas are related to an investigation following the publication of details about the security systems of the new presidential aircraft, which was given to President Donald Trump as a gift by Qatar.