Between March 1, 2020 and March 9, 2021, 881 Secret Service members tested positive for COVID-19, according to government records obtained by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The majority were either Special Agents or in the Uniformed Division. During the first year of the pandemic, then-President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence went against public health guidelines at the time, holding large-scale rallies and multiple trips with Secret Service protection. When the number of cases was surging in December, Pence took a ski trip to Vail, putting at least 48 agents at risk, according to CREW.
An inquiry by staff to investigate COVID policies within the Secret Service was reportedly blocked by DHS Inspector General, Joseph Cuffari, a Trump appointee. CREW states that because of the Inspector General’s unwillingness to look into the matter, it’s impossible to know how many agents contracted COVID-19 because of the Trump administration’s refusal to follow guidelines. However, it appears that the number of positive cases was far higher than the government previously reported.
Read it at CREW
