WASHINGTON — In a significant development, a Secret Service agent suspected of leaking sensitive details regarding Vice President JD Vance’s travel plans has been placed on administrative leave. This action is part of an ongoing internal investigation aimed at uncovering the breach.
The agent, whose identity remains undisclosed, is believed to have served as a source for a recent MS Now article. The report suggested mounting frustration among Vance’s Secret Service detail due to the second family’s tendency to make eleventh-hour travel arrangements and demanding special accommodations.
“A member of the Vice Presidential Protective Division is currently under administrative investigation, with a potential criminal probe into allegations that operational and information security may have been compromised,” a Secret Service spokesperson told The Post on Thursday.
The spokesperson further clarified, “While we cannot divulge specific details of this situation, one principle holds firm: any actions that could endanger the safety of those we protect are absolutely unacceptable.”
CNN initially broke the news that the agent has been placed on leave, bringing this sensitive issue to the public’s attention.
The MS Now piece reported that Vance’s detail had recently been asked to travel with the VP and his son aboard Marine Two, the vice presidential helicopter, so that the boy could make his golf lesson at Joint Base Andrews.
The planned chopper trip was scrapped due to bad weather, but the outlet reported that some agents considered the request inappropriate.
The outlet also reported that Vance and his wife Usha had taken “several” last-minute chopper trips while house-hunting in northern Virginia. The Post reported this week that the couple are renting two of the four homes that comprise Wolver Hill Farm, a 500-acre estate in Middleburg, Va., owned by federal contractor and data center developer Charles “Chuck” Kuhn.
Vance’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The agent’s suspension emerged as the Trump administration mounts a crackdown on leaks.
Earlier this month, four New York Times reporters were subpoenaed to testify about a story they reported on possible security flaws in Trump’s new Air Force One, a gift from the Gulf state of Qatar.
On Wednesday, Secret Service Director Sean Curran warned that the protective agency is facing one of the most difficult threat environments in its history, having opened probes of 10,000 threats so far this year.
“I think the environment has become very volatile and that’s just across the board, not just to our protectees but local officials. The threat picture and environment is as large as I’ve ever seen it,” Curran said.
The Vances have four young children and welcomed son Alec Neel to their family last week. They are the first vice presidential couple to have a new baby in more than 150 years.
Vance has kept busy with various assignments, including peace negotiations with Iran, which broke down earlier this month after Tehran attacked several vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Additionally, the vice president has done a media tour to promote his new book, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,” which hit bookshelves last month.