Sen. Johnson calls for more scrutiny of Secret Service prostitution scandal

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said Friday that the solicitation of prostitutes by Secret Service members earlier this year could be more widespread than the public was led to believe.

"This is a national security issue that should concern every American," Johnson said Friday.

Johnson said action needs to be taken, after a DHS Office of Inspector General report was released that showed that the Department of Justice refused a request by the DHS OIG for a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty that would have enabled the DHS OIG to interview foreign nationals and access records, including overnight visitor logs at hotels where U.S. personnel stayed.

Johnson said one of his key concerns was that there are discrepancies between public statements and information uncovered in the independent investigation led by the DHS OIG that suggest the administration misled or withheld information from Congress.

He also said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano should be more concerned about the events in Cartagena, where Secret Service members brought sex workers back to their hotel ahead of the president's arrival to Colombia.

"The safety and security of our president and other leaders of state rests in the hands of the Secret Service," Johnson said. "We must know if a culture exists inside the Secret Service that could jeopardize that security — and if so, what actions need to be taken to correct it."

Johnson said the Secret Service, DHS, DOJ and White House haven't responded to his requests for information.

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