The Republican-led House Oversight Committee is demanding answers from the Secret Service about its employment policies after an agent assigned to Vice President Kamala Harris got into a brawl with her colleagues last month — and was later described to The Post as having “screws loose.”
Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) wrote to protective agency director Kimberly Cheatle on Thursday to request a briefing by June 13, citing “potential vulnerabilities” keeping the Secret Service from “fulfilling its mission to ensure the safety and security of its protectees” — including the president, vice president and their families.
Comer highlighted reports that the April 22 incident at Joint Base Andrews involving agent Michelle Herczeg, who was removed from her duties after assaulting a superior officer, had “raised concerns within the agency about the hiring and screening process for this agent: specifically whether previous incidents in her work history were overlooked during the hiring process as years of staff shortages had led the agency to lower once stricter standards as part of a diversity, equity and inclusion effort.”
James Comer expressed some concerns about vulnerabilities at the Secret Service. AP
James Comer has aggressively scrutinized the Biden administration while helming the Oversight Committee. ShutterstockDuring the dust-up, Herczeg reportedly threw menstrual pads and other objects at a fellow agent. She also tackled and punched the special agent in charge after he relieved her assignment, according to RealClearPolitics.
A former member of the Dallas police force, Herczeg filed a complaint against the city in 2016, alleging she “was targeted for being a female officer,” the Dallas Morning News reported.
Her suit was dismissed.
Comer also cited a petition inside the Secret Service, reported earlier this month by Bloomberg, raising concerns related to “inadequate training,” “potential insider threats,” and double standards in disciplinary actions while calling for a congressional investigation.
Michelle Herczeg previously served as an officer with the Dallas Police Department. Dallas Police Department
Kamala Harris was not present when the alleged altercation took place. ZUMAPRESS.com
The Secret Service has come under scrutiny in the wake of the Michelle Herczeg incident. AFP via Getty ImagesThe Secret Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A former DPD co-worker told The Post last month that they would not have allowed Herczeg “to supervise my dog, much less the vice president,” adding of her hiring: “Somebody dropped the ball on this one.”
“How she got in the military, how she got into the police department, how she got in the Secret Service, I don’t have a clue,” the person added of Herczeg, an Air Force veteran.
“I was at a loss for words when I heard she was an agent, much less on a detail with somebody that high up.”
“Everybody, including myself,” the co-worker added, “just knew she wasn’t right.”
