How Do You End a Culture of Corruption in the Secret Service?

The following is being sent today to the Office of the Inspector General, the White House, Janet Napolitano, and every Senator on the Homeland Security Committee

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How do you end a “Culture of Corruption” in the Secret Service? The answer is…One Case at a Time. The resignation of Mark Sullivan was a good start. He has served as the Director of the Secret Service for over 6 years.   During that time at least 119 specific complaints have been made regarding Secret Service agents that relate to alcohol abuse, domestic violence, sexual harassment, pornography, and rape! As if those reports of abuse were not sufficiently outrageous, the Office of the Inspector General who received these reports referred the complaints to the very agency involved in the misconduct and indicated “no reply” was necessary.

The inmates ARE running the asylum!

The Department of Homeland Security has a budget of roughly 68.9 Billion Dollars.Yet it seems that there is no interest in investigating these crimes against women by our own government employees, within the borders of  our own country.

At the Senate hearing regarding the Colombia scandal involving Secret Service agents, the director of the Secret Service insisted that the Colombia matter was an “isolated incident” and he didn’t think it was any basis for the conclusion of Senator Susan Collins that this was the result of a culture of corruption. Mr. Sullivan “insisted repeatedly that in his 29 years with the Secret Service he had never heard anyone say that misconduct was condoned, implicitly or otherwise.” Calling his employees “among the most dedicated, hardest working, self-sacrificing employees within the federal government” he declared that this type of behavior was not something that is “systemic within this organization.”

The month was June, and the agent’s name who took two verbal and one written statement from Shailey Tripp, was Merek Shaffer. Ms. Tripp reported to this agent in two verbal statements and one written statement, that Todd Palin had worked as her pimp, and introduced her to Sarah Palin’s Secret Service agent, David Chaney, over bagels. Ms. Tripp reported that Mr. Chaney did come to her place of business, received sexual services, and then underpaid her for those services. The history of this type of behavior of David Chaney is the same as that reported by the prostitute in Colombia.

Following the Senate hearing on the Colombia scandal, when not a single question was asked regarding Mr. Chaney’s history of use of prostitutes, in the United States, I filed a Freedom of Information Act Request, asking for any statements taken from David Chaney, either confirming or denying the allegations of Ms. Tripp. That request was mailed on June 19, 2012.

Homeland Security then refused to produce the documents requested, out of concern for the privacy interests of Todd Palin and David Chaney. On July 2nd I mailed my appeal of this decision, citing the “overriding public interest” exception which requires production of the documents.  Almost seven months later, I still have no documents, and to my knowledge no independent investigation has been undertaken regarding the allegations of Shailey Tripp. To my knowledge no charges have been filed against Todd Palin or David Chaney.

Because Todd Palin is the husband of Sarah Palin, the former Governor of Alaska, and the former Republican nominee for Vice President, he was in a position of power and influence. David Chaney, as a member of the Secret Service, was also in a position of power. When men who are in positions of power take advantage of women, it becomes extremely hard for women to come forward to report the abuse. Even though there are 119 reported incidents involving Secret Service employees, that is likely a small sample of the actual incidents of abuse. In the general population 54% of sexual assaults go unreported. In the general population 27% of victims of domestic violence go unreported.  Because of the position of power and influence of Todd Palin and David Chaney it is even more amazing that Shailey Tripp had the courage to report the meeting and later service provided to David Chaney.

It may be hard to investigate the allegations involving all 119 incidents that are on the Inspector General’s web site. However there is no excuse for the failure to investigate the claims of Shailey Tripp or to refuse to produce the documents requested. It is outrageous that so many complaints against the Secret Service have gone unnoticed. It is unforgivable that the women who reported this abuse have not been given even the courtesy of a reply. It is reprehensible that the agency accused in these cases is the agency charged with the investigation of the allegations!

The abuse must end, TODAY! Please produce the records requested in 2012-133. Please investigate the charges that should be brought against Todd Palin and David Chaney. Please stop paying retirement benefits with tax payer money to the government employees who “resigned” from their positions as a result of this abuse of power. Our tax payer dollars are ensuring they are comfortable in their retirement. Instead of spending time in a jail cell, they are able to buy a vacation home at the expense of American tax payers.

There is a culture of corruption within the Secret Service, and I am calling upon you to end that corruption today!

Sincerely ,

Malia Litman