REBUTTAL

Secret Service: Behavior Not OK

Chief says “absurd” to imply it’s part of the culture.

The head of the Secret Service said Wednesday that it is “absurd” to suggest that behavior similar to the way agents acted in Colombia is part of the culture there. A report in Wednesday’s Washington Post claimed that the agents did not believe they broke the rules, since there allegedly was a silent agreement that things such as having sex with residents of foreign countries while traveling was generally allowed. “The thought or notion that this kind of behavior is condoned or authorized is just absurd, in my opinion,” Secret Service director Mark Sullivan testified before Congress on Wednesday. Sullivan apologized for his agents’ behavior, saying he was “dumbfounded” when he first heard about it. The panel also discussed Secret Service documents that show 64 instances of sexual misconduct within the agency over the last five years—ranging from inappropriate emails to forming relationships with nationals in the countries agents are working in.