Rep. Thompson: Investigate the Secret Service & Trump’s deadly COVID rallies

By spocko, on May 26th, 2021

I learned many troubling things about the Secret Service from Carol Leonnig’s book and during her virtual book interview with Michael Krasny hosted by Book Passage (Video link) (Where I purchased her book.)

I’ve written about my concern about the spreading of COVID from Trump’s rallies starting in June with:
Trump’s Contact Tracing Failure
I pointed out that the people at Trump’s rallies were suicide bombers. But because of Trump’s contact tracing failure we may never know how many they infected and killed.

In August, after Herman Caine died following the Phoenix rally, I wrote: How To Use The Deadly Results Of Trump’s Rallies Against The RNC
I showed how the Trump Campaign avoided proof Trump’s rallies are deadly.

Then in November, when we had proof the rallies spread COVID, I wrote Rallies Led To 30K COVID Cases, 700 Deaths. Make Trump Pay For Holding Them
I suggested multiple ways to make the Trump Campaign at least pay a FINANCIAL price for holding their rallies. I even tryed to get cities like Omaha who got stuck with big rally bills to get paid by the Campaign. (As far as I know they STILL haven’t been paid!)

At the time it galled me that the COVID rallies continued and the public health community were powerless to stop them.
Now that DJT’s out of office there doesn’t appear any appetite to hold him or anyone responsible for their role in spreading this deadly disease.

Look, I understand the desire of the public health community to not criminalize people spreading COVID due to concerns of enforcement, direct evidence and fear of punishing innocents. But in this case there was willful disregard for health of agents, their families and the general public. We have proof the disease was spread at the events. We know from Leonnig’s reporting that a conscious decision was made over and over by high ranking individuals within the campaign and the Secret Service to keep the rallies going without proper protection.

Leonnig’s makes it clear that politicized members of the Secret Service played an active role in spreading COVID. Specifically Tony Ornato, who went from protecting Trump as a Secret Service agent to promoting Trump as his Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of the rallies.

Leonning explained on her book tour that Congress and the White House are “allergic” to investigating the Secret Service. But if we are to keep the current President and VP safe post January 6th there needs to be an investigation to see who can be trusted.

I did some simple research and found out the Secret Service is under the Department of Homeland Security, The House committee that would investigate them is chaired by a Democrat, Bennie G. Thompson, so I wrote to see if they were planning on investigating the role senior members of agency played in spreading COVID, or in covering up for Trump’s campaign staff’s reckless disregard for the health of agents, officers and the general public.

We need to push for this. If we don’t, the committee will be pushed by the right on “the border crisis” and them all the hard work done revealing the problems will be covered up. When I suggested an investigation my friends are quick to point out all the ways that Trump will “get away with it” Or ask “Why bother? We have a better chance of busting Trump for tax fraud.” Because people died! When they get away with murder, they will keep doing it.

Here’s my letter. If you would like to see an investigation happen you can help by asking the members on the committee. (Which are listed below. I’d especially like to alert those in New Jersey where Trump’s Bedminster club is located that Leonnig said agents were told not to wear masks, in violation of CDC guidelines & state laws.

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Bennie G. Thompson, (D) Chairman MS 2nd @BennieGThompson

Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman
House Committee on Homeland Security

On Oct 5, 2020 you requested a briefing from the Secret Service agency on the current safeguards in place for Secret Service employees to be kept safe from coronavirus-related threats–including those from the President.
(CHAIRMAN THOMPSON STATEMENT ON TRUMP’S DISREGARD FOR HEALTH OF PUBLIC, SECRET SERVICE1) What was the response to your request? Was it satisfactory?
2) As the Chairman of the group that oversees the agency, will you convene a hearing to investigate it based on the reporting from Carol Leonnig’s recent book Zero Fail?

3) I’m specifically concerned about the role played by Tony Ornato while he was Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations during the COVID rallies. Ornato has returned to the Secret Service in a training capacity, so he is under the purview of your committee for oversight.

Carol Leonnig’s reporting has shown over 300 agents were infected or taken off the line because of exposure to co-workers with COVID. (Video link) This weakened the ability of the agency to do its job.

4) Leonnig said that there is definitive proof that the Tulsa rally led to a 4-fold spike in COVID cases in the community. (Video link)

Is your committee looking into whose actions led to this unnecessary illness and loss of life following that event and others in multiple states?

Because of the secretive nature of the work of the Service, it appears that your committee is best positioned to investigate abuses of power or covering up of criminal activity by the Secret Service and/or their protectees.

5) The former President will attempt to block any investigation to learn what the agents knew and did during the rallies that endangered other agents?.(Video Link) Do you anticipate your committee needing to use subpoena power to investigate?

6) Leonning has said that Congress & the White House do not want to investigate the Service because of their close personal ties with agents. Leonnig revealed the previous group of agents had to be changed out because of concerns from President Biden’s staff. Has your committee looked into those concerns about the previous agents’ performance under the current administration?

7) It is clear from Leonnig’s reporting that members of the Secret Service have been politicized by the previous administration, what is not clear is who was involved and if that subversion led to criminal actions by members of the Secret Service. Following the events of January 6th, and the documented proof that some agents supported it, will your committee look into staff that have abandoned the Service’s historic apolitical role?

8) If there is no investigation planned by your committee, are you aware of other committees that are looking into the role of the Secret Service in spreading COVID nationwide?

LLAP,
Michal Spocko
Senior Health & Safety Reporter

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