Military men escape charges in Secret Service scandal
View of the Hotel Caribe in Cartagena, Colombia, on April 25, 2012, where US Secret Service agents stayed earlier this month for the Summit of the Americas and would have hired prostitutes. US Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano assured probing senators on Wednesday that the Secret Service agent misconduct in Colombia never jeopardized President Barack Obama’s safety.
Seven Army soldiers and two Marines involved with prostitutes in Colombia before President Obama’s visit there in April won’t face criminal charges, The Associated Press reported today.
Instead, they are being placed on administrative leave for their roles in the Secret Service scandal.
The AP said the Air Force admonished one of its members involved, but there’s still no word on what will happen to a pair of US Navy sailors.
The incident happened in April and involved several members of the Obama’s security detail; the military personnel involved played support roles and didn’t have direct roles protecting the president.
The AP cited anonymous sources and said the US military will officially release its investigation’s findings to members of Congress.
More from GlobalPost: Colombian prostitute involved with Secret Service speaks out
The scandal erupted when two Secret Service agents refused to pay a Colombian prostitute, NBC News reported.
The woman complained to police, who contacted the US Embassy.
The dozen agents and military men involved brought as many as 21 women to their hotel rooms in Cartagena before the Summit of the Americas.
Three agents kept their jobs, six resigned, two were fired and one retired, The New York Times reported.
Two are fighting for their jobs, the AP said.
More from GlobalPost: Secret Service sex scandal hearing: Director grilled over Colombia exploits
The story you just read is available for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll get us one step closer to our goal of raising $25,000 by June 14. We need your help now more than ever!