Incoming… Secret Service to Reduce its Workforce by Up to 20 Percent

OSTN Staff

Close-up of a secret service agent listening to his earpiece, behind. Photo credit: depositphotos.com

The US Secret Service is planning on reducing its workforce by up to 20% beginning Friday night.

DHS Chief Kristi Noem will reportedly send Secret Service personnel an email as early as Friday night or this weekend regarding the layoffs.

Some Secret Service workers will be offered early retirement or voluntary separation.

Administrative workers and personnel in their probationary period will be let go first.

Per RealClearPolitics reporter Susan Crabtree:

Despite a severe USSS special agent manpower shortage and increased protective duties during the Trump administration, Secret Service personnel are bracing for an email expected as early as Friday night this weekend from DHS Secretary Noem regarding USSS personnel layoffs, followed by notifications to those affected personnel noting the various options available. Options will include early retirement; voluntary separation; etc. The expected email is spurring rumors of a merger btwn USSS and Homeland Security Investigations, downsizing; doing away with retention bonuses aimed at increasing manpower.

Planned layoffs are thought to be between 10-20% of the workforce range. APT (administrative)᜵non-gun carriers to be let go first, followed by others within their probation period of 3 years and possibly others on a case by case basis. It’s unclear how DEI hires will be affected. The service has to submit a plan for the layoffs to DHS today. DHS could either accept it or come back and tell USSS it needs to cut more bodies for additional cost reductions.

The Secret Service needs an overhaul.

The US Secret Service last week was accused of failing to respond to an insider threat at the agency – and retaliated against the whistleblower who reported the threat during the Biden Administration.

News of the insider threat comes less than one year after two assassination attempts against President Trump – one in Butler, Pennsylvania (July 13) – and another attempt at his Mar-a-Lago golf course (September 15).

According to RealClearPolitics reporter Susan Crabtree, the Secret Service hired an applicant who failed the terrorism section of the polygraph test.

Failing a polygraph test typically disqualifies a Secret Service applicant – however, the agency has a dangerous ‘friends and family’ loophole which allows people with certain connections to retake the polygraph test more than once.

The agency allowed this ‘insider threat’ to evaluate others’ security clearances, according to a whistleblower.

The whistleblower claims they were retaliated against, forced to resign and now the agency is threatening to revoke their security clearance.

Problems with Secret Service agents fighting and excessively drinking have plagued the agency for years.

Last year a female secret service agent assigned to Kamala Harris got into a physical fight with other agents at Joint Base Andrews.

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