Obama says Secret Service scandal ‘a little distracting’
US President Barack Obama during a taping of “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” at the University of North Carolina on April 24, 2012 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
President Barack Obama addressed the Secret Service scandal while taping for the "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" show on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
Obama said the prostitution scandal which took place in Columbia was "a little distracting" but those responsible for it were not representative of the agency which protected him and his family. He said that "99.9 percent" of the time, the Secret Service did a great job.
"A couple of knuckleheads shouldn't detract from what they do. What these guys were thinking, I don't know. That's why they're not there anymore," Obama told Fallon.
"These guys are incredible. They protect me. They protect Michelle. They protect the girls. They protect our officials all around the world," he added, according to the AP.
More on GlobalPost: Secret Service prostitution: 3 more resign
According to ABC News, at least a dozen officials are currently under investigation for misconduct including excessive drinking and cavorting with prostitutes. To day, six Secret Service agents have left the agency.
The debacle started before Obama's visit to Cartagena, Columbia, when reports surfaced of a "culture clash" between Secret Service personnel and prostitutes on April 12. Obama called for an investigation, saying that if the charges proved to be true, "then, of course, I'll be angry," according to The Washington Post.
By April 19, three Secret Service agents had left their positions, either resigning or being fired. The very next day, three more chose to resign over the incident which revolved around a Secret Service agent not paying a prostitute around $800 that she claimed she was owed.
More on GlobalPost: Senate widens probe in Secret Service scandal
The Homeland Security Committee launched a launched an investigation into whether the invident was part of a larger pattern of misconduct, as we reported on April 22.
The entirety of Obama's interview with Fallon will air tonight.
More on GlobalPost: Hotdesking, the latest office trend to annoy employees
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 help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!