by Steven Richards
House Republicans on the Oversight Committee said Tuesday that the Department of Homeland Security has intercepted communications between the committee and the U.S. Secret Service and are refusing to confirm the date of a news conference scheduled for today.
The Homeland Security intervention comes as Congress seeks answers from the Secret Service about its security lapses at Donald Trump’s July 13 rally in Pennsylvania, where an assassination attempt on the former president took place. The USSS had previously agreed to brief the committee on Tuesday.
“After the Secret Service agreed to brief House Oversight Committee members on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security took over communications with the Committee and has since declined to confirm a meeting date. The Oversight Committee has a long history of bipartisan oversight of the Secret Service, and the unprofessionalism we are witnessing from current DHS leadership is unacceptable,” an Oversight Committee spokeswoman said in a statement shared with Just the News Tuesday.
“Although the Secret Service has confirmed that Director Cheatle is scheduled to appear at the July 22 committee hearing, to preempt any attempt by DHS to withdraw her appearance, the chairman will issue a subpoena. Director Cheatle must answer to Congress and the American people for the historic failure that occurred under her watch,” she added.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The committee also contacted the US Secret Service provide information and records related to the July 13 rallyincluding documents, communications and recordings from the event and planning.
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Steven Richards is a reporter for Just the News.
Photo “United States Secret Service” by United States Secret Service.
