NW Atlanta News

Washington D.C. (August 5, 2024) | On August 2, 2024, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) released a redacted version of its January 6th report on the United States Secret Service (USSS) to the public. The 82-page document outlines significant lapses in the USSS response during key events on January 6, 2021.

The report details that on January 6, the USSS was responsible for securing former President Trump's speech at the Ellipse and protecting then-Vice President Mike Pence and then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. It identifies failures in communication with other law enforcement agencies and inadequate security measures at the Democratic National Committee (DNC), where an explosive device was not detected despite Harris being driven close to it.

Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), Chairman of the Committee on House Administration's Oversight Subcommittee, shared several concerns based on the report:

**USSS Admits to Interfering with DHS OIG Investigation**

In a management response, former USSS Director Kim Cheatle admitted to delaying and interfering with the DHS OIG investigation. Cheatle mentioned considering asking Secretary Mayorkas to block the review but did not confirm if this request was made. She also noted that USSS wanted to internally review records before providing them to DHS OIG, potentially hindering transparency.

Cheatle cited senior-level leadership communications as a reason for non-compliance and referenced laws like the Presidential Records Act and Privacy Act, which do not apply to Inspectors General requests for information.

**Deletion of USSS Text Messages**

House Committees led by Democrats had sent letters demanding preservation of electronic communications related to January 6. Despite these requests, USSS claims texts were deleted during a preplanned data migration from January through April 2021. No backups were kept, and relevant messages were permanently erased without notifying Congressional oversight committees or DHS OIG until February 23, 2022.

**Communication Challenges**

The report highlights significant communication issues between USSS and local law enforcement on January 6. For instance, USSS struggled to communicate effectively with U.S. Capitol Police when Vice President Pence was inside the Capitol with rioters present.

Additionally, USSS did not conduct an after-action review of their support mission to address these breakdowns.

**Trump's Movement on January 6**

The DHS OIG report refutes claims made by Cassidy Hutchinson regarding President Trump's actions on January 6. It confirms there was no plan for Trump to go to the Capitol that day; he asked unplanned after his speech but returned to the White House upon advice from USSS.

The report also denies that Trump lunged at USSS agents in his vehicle following his speech at the Ellipse.

**Security Measures for Kamala Harris**

The report indicates that USSS did not fully implement explosive detection tactics during a security sweep at DNC because Harris was Vice President-elect at that time. This included failing to sweep bushes near where her motorcade passed and where a pipe bomb was later found.