Secret Service agents threatened to smear congressman Jason Chaffetz

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Rep. Jason Chaffetz was probing a Secret Service scandal in March
Within minutes of his hearing starting, agents raided his personnel file
Staff dug up an application form he filled out to join the agency in 2003
It was then forwarded to at least 45, including senior members of staff
Assistant Director Ed Lowery threatened to leak embarrassing information

Published: 17:45 EST, 30 September 2015 | Updated: 01:03 EST, 1 October 2015

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Representative Jason Chaffetz was probing claims that two Secret Service agents drove a government vehicle drunk when staff accessed his personnel file

U.S. Secret Service employees raided the personnel file of a congressman who was investigating scandals at the agency and threatened to leak embarrassing details 'to make things even'.

Jason Chaffetz, Republican representative for Utah, was probing claims that agents drove a government vehicle while drunk when staff dug up an application form he filled out to join the service in 2003.

The file was then forwarded to at least 45 staff members, including Assistant Director Ed Lowery, who suggested leaking some of the information as revenge, a government report has revealed.

According to investigators, staff accessed Chaffetz' file within 18 minutes of the start of a hearing back in March during which he looked into allegations of a scandal at the service.

It was claimed that two officers had been out drinking at a bar for several hours before driving a government vehicle on to White House property while a sensitive investigation was taking place.

A week after the hearing began Lowery, who is also in charge of training at the agency, wrote an email to Assistant Director Faron Paramore suggesting that details from the application be leaked.

It is not known what information Lowery was referring to, but Secret Service applications can require candidates to sit a lie detector test, complete a medical examination, and be screened for drugs.

In an email on March 31, Lowery wrote: 'Some information that he might find embarrassing needs to get out. Just to be fair.'

Days later, on April 2, information that Chaffetz had unsuccessfully applying for a job at the Secret Service appeared on an online news site.

Lowery had been promoted to head of training just weeks previously in an attempt to reform the service after a series of security lapses.

Today's report accuses Lowery of hitting out after becoming angry at aggressive investigations by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Lowery himself has admitted the message was written as a result of his 'stress and anger' at the situation, but denies he ever sanctioned the release of information and 'believed it would have been inappropriate to do so.'

According to John Roth, the Homeland Security Department's inspector general, the employees' actions could constitute criminal violations under the U.S. Privacy Act.

He said: 'It doesn't take a lawyer explaining the nuances of the Privacy Act to know that the conduct that occurred here - by dozens of agents in every part of the agency - was wrong.

'These agents work for an agency whose motto — "Worthy of trust and confidence" — is engraved in marble in the lobby of their headquarters building.

'Few could credibly argue that the agents involved in this episode lived up to this motto.'

According to Secret Service rules, any suspected illegal conduct should be reported to senior staff.

However, Roth's report reveals that at least 18 senior staff member knew or 'should have known' about what was going on, and yet only one attempted to report it to director Joseph Clancy.

Agents threatened to leak embarrassing details from an application Chaffetz made to join the service in 2003 as revenge for his investigation (pictured, Chaffetz, left, meets then-Secret Service director Joseph Clancy)

According to the Washington Post, even Clancy's chief of staff Michael Biermann and Deputy Director Craig Magaw had seen the file, and yet did not report it to him.

Clancy said he was not aware of what was going on until April 1, the day before the news story about Chaffetz appeared.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson personally apologized to Chaffetz again today, the congressman revealed, but did not say whether any employees had been punished.

'It's intimidating,' Chaffetz said. 'It's what it was supposed to be.'

Johnson said in a statement Wednesday that 'those responsible should be held accountable' but did not provide further details.

'I am confident that U.S. Secret Service Director Joe Clancy will take appropriate action to hold accountable those who violated any laws or the policies of this department,' Johnson said.

'Activities like those described in the report must not, and will not, be tolerated.'

Clancy also apologized today for 'this wholly avoidable and embarrassing misconduct' and pledged to hold those responsible for the data breach accountable.

He added: 'I will continue to review policies and practices to address employee misconduct and demand the highest level of integrity of all our employees.'

Lowery declined to comment though a Secret Service spokesman.

Chaffetz told the AP that Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., would conduct any congressional oversight hearings into the matter.

Elijah Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said anyone at the agency 'unwilling or unable to meet the highest of ethical standards should not be a part of the Secret Service.'

At the time of the allegations, Clancy was in temporary charge of the agency after previous director Julia Pierson was ousted after the disclosure of two security breaches.

In one incident a man armed with a knife was able to scale a White House fence and run deep into the executive mansion.