Three senior Secret Service communications officials, including Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi, have been placed on administrative leave pending a potential misconduct probe tied to leaks.
Three senior Secret Service communications officials have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into potential misconduct, the agency confirmed Tuesday night. The move signals a serious internal crackdown as the agency works to tighten its ranks and protect sensitive operations.
The officials placed on leave include Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi and two other members of the agency's communications office. As part of the probe, all three lost their security clearances and access to their work devices, standard procedure in internal investigations of this kind.
The Secret Service confirmed that three non-law enforcement personnel were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into potential misconduct, but offered few additional details. The matter is being handled by the agency's Office of Professional Responsibility, which investigates allegations of wrongdoing inside the service.
Officials have not said exactly why the employees were placed on leave or what the investigation entails. However, the probe comes just weeks after the Secret Service opened an investigation into a member of Vice President JD Vance's security detail for allegedly leaking sensitive information. That case was described as both an administrative investigation and a potential criminal inquiry.
Guglielmi's attorney, Gregg Bernstein, pushed back on any suggestion of wrongdoing, saying his client is cooperating fully with the inquiry.
The Secret Service has been in the spotlight for months, first following multiple assassination attempts against President Trump and more recently over security concerns involving the new Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet. The agency has responded by tightening protocols, expanding protective operations, and now moving aggressively to police its own ranks.
Leaks have been a persistent concern for the agency. The Vance detail investigation and now this latest round of administrative leave show the service is taking the threat of internal information leaks seriously, particularly at a time when the safety of the President and other top officials demands airtight security.
The agency's leadership has made clear it will not tolerate conduct that undermines its zero-fail mission. In a statement, the Secret Service said it is committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and integrity, and that its critical work demands an unwavering commitment to duty, honesty, and courage from every employee.
The Office of Professional Responsibility will determine whether the three officials violated agency policy and what disciplinary action, if any, is warranted. Administrative leave is not a finding of wrongdoing, but the loss of security clearances and device access suggests investigators are treating the matter seriously.
For a Secret Service already stretched thin by expanded protective missions and heightened threat levels, the internal review is another sign that the agency is serious about accountability from the top down. The results of the probe could reshape the agency's communications leadership and send a clear message across the federal protective community: leaks will not be tolerated.
Watch for further announcements from the Secret Service as the Office of Professional Responsibility completes its review. The agency has promised transparency as the investigation moves forward, and the outcome will be closely watched in Washington.