US Secret Service agent under investigation, placed on leave after alleged sex assault on Harris campaign staffer

The US Secret Service on Wednesday informed that it is looking into claims that one of its agents sexually molested a female employee of Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. The agent has been placed on administrative leave, as per reports.

According to Real Clear Politics, the agent allegedly forced himself on the woman and groped her in her hotel room last week. The incident occurred after the accused enjoyed dinner and drinks with several other Harris campaign staffers at a restaurant in Green Bay, Wisconsin, as part of a visit to scout possible campaign stops for the vice president.

In an email to CNBC, a Secret Service representative stated that the incident is being investigated by the US Secret Service Office of Professional Responsibility.

Stressing that the agency holds its personnel to the highest standards, the spokesman said, “The employee has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.”

Here’s what Harris office has to say

In response to the report, Harris’ office sent NBC News a statement saying, the VP office takes the safety of staff seriously.

“We have zero tolerance for sexual misconduct. Senior OVP officials were alerted by the USSS about an incident involving an agent and informed that USSS initiated an investigation,” it asserted, while denying to give any further information.

As per Real Clear Politics report, the agent’s behavior toward the Harris campaign employee were witnessed by other people.

The event comes at a time when the Secret Service is still being heavily criticised for their role in the July 13 attempted assassination of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during a campaign rally in western Pennsylvania.

In a report released on Wednesday, the Senate Homeland Security Committee and its Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations determined that the Secret Service “failed to sufficiently coordinate with state and local law enforcement” and that its duties and advance personnel roles for the ex-president’s rally “were unclear and lacked accountability.”