Three Secret Service officials placed on leave amid misconduct probe

Three Secret Service officials, including the agency's top spokesman, are now on leave following an explosive misconduct probe that reaches the highest levels of leadership. Communications director Anthony Guglielmi and two colleagues in his department walked out their offices this past Monday, sources told Real Clear Politics. CNN confirms that all three have been placed on administrative leave with their security clearances suspended and their work computers taken away. The Secret Service has refused to speak about what exactly the investigation entails, though reports suggest the CIA and FBI are involved.

This move happens while FBI director Kash Patel leads a separate hunt for the source of leaks regarding Donald Trump's secret departure from Turkey last month. After the NATO summit, the President allegedly swapped Air Force One for a catering cart on the tarmac in Ankara to escape an Iranian assassination threat. That flight carried only his closest aides, such as personal secretary Natalie Harp, while several Cabinet members stayed behind. The Washington Post exposed these details in July, prompting FBI agents to question Secret Service officials immediately after the story broke.

The agency has faced growing pressure lately over security gaps during Trump's protection duties. What specific wrongdoing led to this action remains unclear, but the timing is sharp. Just weeks after reports surfaced about the covert operation to move the President out of Turkey in a food service vehicle, these agents lost their access and tools. One could ask why an internal review needed to go so wide, especially when it touches on classified operations involving foreign threats and high-profile security lapses. The public watches closely as government directives shift and personnel face sudden removals without immediate explanation.

Sean Curran Guglielmi took charge of the Secret Service communications department under the Biden administration. That tenure included the chaotic aftermath of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, an incident so severe it forced his predecessor to quit. Before this role, Guglielmi managed comms for the Chicago and Baltimore Police departments while civil unrest tore through those cities.

Last month, Guglielmi revealed that a specific agent protecting Vice President JD Vance was under criminal investigation for a suspected media leak. The trouble started when agents complained about sudden travel orders for the VPs family, sparking fears that sensitive operational details had slipped out. This case arrived just as six other agents faced discipline for their roles in the Butler failures. It has been a turbulent year for director Sean Curran, who is trying to repair an agency damaged by security lapses and deep internal mistrust.

Those suspensions happened back in February 2025 but did not hit the news until five months later. Curran was already on Trump's protective detail before he helped shield him during the Butler shooting. The President personally chose him to lead the Secret Service following that event. Since being put in charge, Curran has pushed hard for changes in training, new equipment, and better coordination with local law enforcement. He also demands greater accountability whenever security fails.

Recent months have shown some success. Agents stopped an armed gunman before he could reach the ballroom where Trump was at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in April. Two months after that, the Secret Service teamed up with the FBI and other agencies to stop a reported drone-and-sniper attack aimed at the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House.