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However, Powers later discovered that the Secret Service agents had taken it upon themselves to enter her locked salon, use her bathroom facilities, and tamper with her security cameras—all without her knowledge or approval.
Security footage obtained by Business Insider revealed that a female Secret Service agent taped over the lens of a Ring security camera positioned at the salon’s entrance. The footage then shows the agents breaking into the salon, setting off the security alarm, and spending nearly two hours inside before leaving the premises unsecured.
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Powers only became aware of the situation after reviewing the security footage. “When I got back to my phone, it was actually closer to 2:30 before I caught that. When I saw that people were in here, I literally got in my car, I raced here—they had already essentially cleaned up and left,” she told iBerkshire. “When I got back here, my front door was left unlocked. I don’t know how long it was unlocked for and that’s essentially the gist of what happened. They were walking around in here for a good hour and a half, my alarm was going off the entire time, that should have alarmed somebody that maybe you shouldn’t be in the building.”
The salon owner was further shocked to learn that multiple people, including emergency medical personnel and law enforcement, were inside her salon using the bathroom without her permission. Powers shared her frustration: “There were several people in and out for about an hour-and-a-half — just using my bathroom, the alarms going off, using my counter, with no permission. And then when they were done using the bathroom for two hours, they left and left my building completely unlocked, and did not take the tape off the camera.”
Powers said that an EMS worker later revealed that the Secret Service agent in charge of security that day was “inviting people to come in and use the bathroom.” She expressed her dismay, stating that if they had simply asked for permission, she would have been more than willing to accommodate them. “Whoever was visiting, whether it was a celebrity or not, I probably would’ve opened the door and made them coffee and brought in donuts to make it a great afternoon for them. But they didn’t even have the audacity to ask for permission. They just helped themselves,” she said.
The landlord of the building, Brian Smith, echoed Powers’s sentiments, emphasizing that neither he nor his father had given the Secret Service permission to enter the property. “They had no permission to go in there whatsoever,” Smith stated.
Despite multiple attempts to address the situation with local law enforcement and the Secret Service, Powers was initially met with indifference. The Pittsfield Police, who were supposed to coordinate with the Secret Service, claimed they had no knowledge of the incident. It wasn’t until Business Insider contacted the Secret Service for comment that the agency acknowledged the wrongdoing and issued an apology.
Powers shared that all she wanted was accountability. “I really felt good about that and that’s all I wanted out of the situation was accountability,” she told iBerkshire. “Because if we do something wrong in the community and we get in trouble, we’re held accountable and we have to make sure that we follow through with that and that’s all that I was asking for.”
The Secret Service’s response was viewed by many as lackluster. While the agency did apologize and promised to cover any costs incurred by Powers due to the intrusion, many believe this incident highlights a larger issue of government overreach and disregard for individual rights.
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A Secret Service spokesperson told Business Insider that the agency’s employees “would not enter” without the business owner’s permission, but acknowledged that an agent had taped over the security camera lens. The spokesperson, Melissa McKenzie, stated that the agency had since communicated with Powers and emphasized that the Secret Service values its relationships with the business community.
As this incident gains traction online, many are voicing their concerns about government overreach and the erosion of personal freedoms. One user commented, “Our government at work! They don’t need your permission! They can do what they want! Our government is the threat to our freedoms and rights! Will anyone be held responsible? NO…” Another added, “Anyone else getting Nazi vibes from the current situation and this time it isn’t Republicans being blamed?”
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of accountability and transparency, especially when it comes to the actions of government agencies. Whether or not further action will be taken remains to be seen, but the outrage sparked by this event is likely to linger for some time.
