Sen. Hawley Raises Concerns Over Secret Service Actions Before Trump Shooting in Butler, PA

Aug 1, 2024, 11:10 PM

Senator Josh Hawley has raised concerns regarding the actions of Acting Secret Service Director Ronald L. Rowe, Jr. following a whistleblower's allegations. The whistleblower claims that Rowe reduced counter surveillance and threat assessment efforts before the shooting of former President Donald Trump at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania. Additionally, the whistleblower accuses Rowe of retaliating against agents who voiced security concerns. The claims suggest systemic issues within the Secret Service, including special treatment, nepotism, and other managerial failures. These allegations come after Rowe's testimony before the Senate on July 30, which has been described as argumentative by a former Secret Service agent. The whistleblower also mentioned that Rowe replaced Kimberly Cheatle as director.