A Secret Service agent assigned to Vice President JD Vance has been placed on administrative leave after allegedly sharing sensitive information about travel plans and security procedures with an undercover journalist he believed he was meeting for a date.
A video clip posted on Jan. 13 by the O’Keefe Media Group — led by conservative activist and Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe — shows a man seated in a crowded restaurant while an off-camera woman questions him.
In the footage, the agent describes Secret Service shift schedules and the formation agents use when Vance is moving in public. He also appears to hand over his badge — which includes photo identification — and identifies himself as a member of the United States Secret Service and an employee of the Department of Homeland Security.
The video also appears to include screenshots of messages allegedly sent by the agent to the journalist. In those images, he discusses the vice president’s travel plans and shares photos of the presidential motorcade, along with metadata that could be used to determine his precise location.
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During the conversation, the agent also shares personal political views, telling the undercover journalist that he voted for Joe Biden and disagrees with the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
“I don’t understand why they’re covering their face… I don’t agree with that at all,” he says, referring to ICE agents who are sometimes seen wearing balaclavas to conceal their identities.
“They’re deploying tactics that shouldn’t be deployed,” he adds.
In a statement, U.S. Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said, “The U.S. Secret Service has no tolerance for any behavior that could potentially compromise the safety, privacy or trust of our protectees. This incident is under investigation and the employee involved has been placed on administrative leave with his clearance suspended and access to agency facilities and systems revoked.”
Quinn added that the agency has ordered all personnel to retake required anti-espionage training “to ensure employees are aware of the threats posed by individuals aiming to exploit agency employees for information about our protective operations.”
He also said the Secret Service “has a 160-year-old tradition of discretion that sets this agency apart,” adding that the agency “deeply apologizes to the Vance family for this violation of their trust and privacy” and is committed to taking steps to prevent a similar breach in the future.
