The Secret Service confirmed Tuesday that three employees had been placed on leave while its Office of Professional Responsibility conducts an internal review.
The agency, however, did not publicly identify the employees or provide details about the allegations under investigation. It also did not say whether the inquiry involves suspected leaks of sensitive or classified information.
“All three employees worked in the agency’s communications office and held non-law enforcement positions,” according to the information available about the personnel action.
One source cited by RealClearPolitics claimed that the FBI and CIA were involved in examining how sensitive information may have reached members of the media. The Secret Service has not confirmed that claim, and neither agency has been publicly identified by the Secret Service as participating in the investigation.
At this stage, the administrative action does not amount to a finding that any of the employees engaged in wrongdoing. Placing personnel on leave and temporarily suspending access to sensitive information can be standard measures while investigators determine whether agency policies or professional standards were violated.
The Secret Service said its employees are expected to meet demanding standards of professionalism, integrity, honesty, courage and commitment to duty. Beyond that, the agency declined to provide additional details while the review remains active.
Questions are now mounting over whether the latest investigation could be connected to previous concerns involving the disclosure of sensitive information about Trump’s security.
Earlier this year, Trump acknowledged that he quietly departed Turkey aboard a different military aircraft after the Secret Service and military reportedly received intelligence suggesting Iran could be preparing an attack. Officials were reportedly concerned about a possible surface-to-air missile threat directed at Air Force One.
While some members of Trump’s staff, Secret Service personnel and members of the press traveled aboard the presidential aircraft, Trump was reportedly transferred discreetly to another plane.
Details of the operation later appeared in the media, prompting concern inside the administration over how information about such a sensitive security movement became public.
A separate leak inquiry was subsequently launched from within the White House. FBI Director Kash Patel was reportedly involved in initiating that investigation, and Secret Service personnel were questioned as investigators attempted to determine how information about the operation may have been disclosed.
The administration has also dealt with other investigations involving sensitive security information.
The Justice Department previously issued subpoenas to New York Times journalists following reporting concerning security issues tied to a Qatari-gifted aircraft expected to serve as a future Air Force One. Those subpoenas were later withdrawn.
In July, another investigation was launched after a Secret Service agent assigned to Vice President JD Vance’s protective detail was suspected of sharing information involving the detail and the vice president’s travel schedule. The agent was placed on leave, and that investigation remains open.
The latest personnel action therefore comes against a backdrop of growing concern about internal leaks and the protection of highly sensitive information involving the president and vice president.
The Secret Service has faced extraordinary criticism since the July 2024 assassination attempt against Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The gunman was able to fire from an elevated position before being stopped, exposing major failures in planning, communication and site security.
The fallout was severe. Then-Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned, and the agency was forced to reassess numerous aspects of its protective operations. Among the changes were expanded efforts involving drones, counter-drone systems and other security technology.
Guglielmi served as the agency’s chief spokesman throughout much of that controversy and frequently defended the Secret Service as questions intensified over what went wrong.
He also faced criticism over the agency’s handling of requests for additional protective resources for Trump during the campaign.
Guglielmi initially disputed reports that requests from Trump’s protective team had been rejected. The Secret Service later acknowledged that certain requests for specialized resources had been denied, although the agency maintained that other measures—including assistance from state and local law enforcement—were used to address security needs.
Before joining the Secret Service, Guglielmi held communications roles with police departments in Chicago, Baltimore and Fairfax County, Virginia.
For now, the central questions remain unanswered. The Secret Service has not disclosed what conduct triggered the current review, whether the investigation involves alleged leaks, or whether additional personnel could face scrutiny.
What is clear is that the agency responsible for protecting the nation’s highest-ranking officials is once again confronting serious questions about internal discipline, sensitive information and accountability.
As the investigation continues, the Secret Service is likely to face increasing pressure to explain what happened—and whether the latest suspensions are connected to the broader leak concerns that have repeatedly placed the agency under the microscope.
