This week, there was a moment of uncertainty regarding whether the Secret Service Director would attend a congressional hearing in the United States. To ensure the presence of the Secret Service Director at the hearing scheduled for next Monday, July 22, the congressional committee issued a subpoena, and the Secret Service affirmed their attendance.
In a statement released on Friday, July 19, the Secret Service confirmed that Director Kimberly Cheatle would testify at the upcoming hearing at the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
The statement said, “The Secret Service is responsible for the safety of its protected individuals. We are committed to better understanding the events that occurred before, during, and after the attempted assassination of former President Trump to ensure such incidents do not happen again.”
The Secret Service expressed willingness to cooperate fully with Congress, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other relevant investigative agencies.
Earlier this week, Cheatle had already committed to attending the hearing, but on Wednesday, July 17, the committee still issued a subpoena requesting her presence at the hearing on Monday.
Committee Chair James Comer stated that the reason for the mandatory request was due to interference by officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which cast doubt on Cheatle’s ability to attend the hearing.
Comer wrote in a letter to Cheatle, “Initially, the Secret Service assured you would attend, but it appears that Department of Homeland Security officials intervened, casting uncertainty on your attendance.”
He further stated in the letter, “Moreover, since the involvement of the Department of Homeland Security, there has been no meaningful updates or information shared with the committee. The lack of transparency from DHS and the Secret Service on this pressing issue, their failure to cooperate with the committee, further raises doubts about your leadership of the Secret Service, hence the necessity of issuing a subpoena to compel your attendance at the oversight committee meeting.”
According to the Congressional Hill Report, an assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security responsible for legislative affairs responded to the subpoena indicating disappointment with the committee’s hasty issuance. However, Cheatle is “welcoming the opportunity to testify,” though not necessarily on the scheduled date of July 22. Citing “travel and operational duties” as reasons, the department proposed July 25, 26, or alternate dates next week for the hearing.
But the committee rejected the request, insisting that Cheatle testify on July 22 to provide transparency and accountability to the American people.
Following the attempted assassination incident involving Trump, Cheatle and the Secret Service have faced increasing scrutiny. In the event on July 13, a 20-year-old man hid on a roof approximately 140 meters from where Trump was speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania, firing multiple shots at Trump, with one bullet hitting his right ear, resulting in the immediate death of a rally attendee and two others sustaining serious injuries.