WASHINGTON – The Secret Service disciplined six staffers with suspensions ranging from 10 days to six weeks without pay, the agency said in a report issued for the first anniversary of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.
Trump was shot in the ear and a spectator was killed at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, before a counter-sniper killed the gunman. Among 46 congressional recommendations to avoid a repeat tragedy, the agency said it had implemented 21, that 16 are in progress and another nine were addressed to Congress.
The changes included improving communications with local law enforcement officials, creating an aviation division dedicated to monitoring locations an official is visiting and ensuring that resources are better deployed.
“One year ago, I was by President Trump’s side when a lone gunman attempted to assassinate him in Butler, Pennsylvania,” Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement. “Since President Trump appointed me as director of the United States Secret Service, I have kept my experience on July 13 top of mind, and the agency has taken many steps to ensure such an event can never be repeated in the future.”
But investigators, such as Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pennsylvania, who headed a task force that investigated the shooting, said they are still seeking answers about what happened that day.
Kelly applauded the agency’s transparency in its report and said he looked forward to working with Curran to restore the agency’s reputation as an elite law-enforcement organization.
“It is critical that we remain dedicated to returning the Secret Service to the gold standard of protection as they modernize their zero-fail mission,” Kelly said in a statement.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Secret Service suspended 6 staff after Trump assassination attempt
