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Agents with the Secret Service who are assigned to protect our presidents take a solemn oath to protect and defend them with their lives, if necessary, regardless of whether they personally like or agree with the nation’s commander-in-chief.
But it appears at least one agent has no intention of doing her best work for President Donald J. Trump, who continues to be maligned, belittled and disrespected by the very federal officials charged with protecting and serving him.
As reported by the Washington Examiner, 23-year Secret Service veteran Kerry O’Grady, the USSS Special Agent in Charge of the Denver office, made a series of posts over the months before the Nov. 8 election, condemning Trump, including one in which she wrote that she wouldn’t want to “take a bullet” for him. (RELATED: The president has been busy, and you can keep up with everything he’s doing at Trump.news)
She explained in that same post that she believed his candidacy was a “disaster” for the country, and especially for women and minorities (though Trump never talked down to minorities or women, or gave any indication that he would somehow try to curb their rights – as if he even could).
As a special agent in charge, Grady’s role is to coordinate with Washington-based advanced teams for all presidential candidate and presidential trips to the area. That includes upcoming trips by the president, Vice President Mike Pence and Trump administration officials.
But despite what is supposed to be her non-partisan security role, she has not kept her disdain for Trump and his incoming administration a secret to her Facebook followers, which include current and former agents with the Secret Service, as well as other people who were USSS employees when she made the posts.
Two knowledgeable sources told the Washington Examiner that O’Grady’s posts caused at least one agent or employee to complain to the agency’s office that investigates alleged Secret Service misbehavior. Sources said a complaint was received by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general, under which the USSS falls, on Oct. 11.
In one post, which O’Grady wrote at 11:07 pm on an October Sunday, she endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and added she would do “jail time” instead of “taking a bullet” for someone she believes will be a “disaster” for the country. And while the post did not mention Trump by name, it was clear to whom she was referring.
She also mentioned the Hatch Act, which bans executive branch employees and staff – other than the president, vice president and other senior executive officials – from involvement in certain political activities.
“As a public servant for nearly 23 years, I struggle not to violate the Hatch Act,” she wrote. “So I keep quiet and skirt the median. To do otherwise can be a criminal offense for those in my position. Despite the fact that I am expected to take a bullet for both sides.”
Continuing, she wrote, “But this world has changed and I have changed. And I would take jail time over a bullet or an endorsement for what I believe to be disaster to this country and the strong and amazing women and minorities who reside here. Hatch Act be damned. I am with Her.”
As noted by the Examiner, Hatch Act violations federal employees are subjected to include:
— May not post a comment to a blog or a social media site that advocates for or against a partisan political party, candidate for partisan political office, or partisan political group.
— May not use any email account or social media to distribute, send or forward content that advocates for or against a partisan political party, candidate for partisan political office, or partisan political group.
The Secret Service told the Examiner it was aware of the posts and was conducting an investigation. (RELATED: Find out all about federal employees who purposely endanger the country at Treason.news)
Since these posts have been going on for at least seven months, it is fair to ask a couple of questions of the USSS:
1) Why has it taken so long for the agency to take an action for an obvious violation of the law? and
2) Why hasn’t O’Grady at least been suspended, since she obviously cannot faithfully execute her duties?
O’Grady has subsequently issued an apology.
“It was an internal struggle for me but as soon as I put it up, I thought it was not the sentiment that I needed to share because I care very deeply about the mission,” she told the news site, adding repeatedly that she would never shirk her duty to protect whomever was president.
The report also noted that she continued posting anti-Trump messages up to and beyond the Jan. 20 inauguration.
Nevertheless, the law appears to have been violated. What’s more, the president and his team would be right to assume that, because of her views, she is too compromised to be trusted.
J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for Natural News and News Target, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.
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