Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.), the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said the scandal involving Secret Service agents in Colombia is a story "as old as mankind."
"This story is as old as mankind, where you have enemies using women
to go into a security zone and try to obtain secret information … it was
the height of irresponsibility to allow anyone into that zone of
security," King said Tuesday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
Eleven Secret Service agents who were in Cartagena, Colombia, ahead of President Obama’s trip for the Summit of the Americas were sent home on Saturday
and placed on leave over allegations of involvement
with prostitutes. At least five U.S. service members were also
involved, and the Pentagon said Monday that the number could be higher.
"We're talking about what appears to be 11 men who brought women back to their hotels. This was really a flagrant violation of security because of the potential dangers," King said.
The New York congressman said from his understanding of the situation, despite the security lapse, there was "no threat to the president."
"Having said that, there certainly could have been, and that's what this is all about," he added.
King told MSNBC that he has "tremendous respect" for the Secret Service and doesn't want to use this situation as a way to "indict" the entire agency.
The House Homeland Security Committee is investigating the allegations, in addition to official government and military inquiries.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said on CBS over the weekend that he is not sure if his committee would hold hearings, but said he would be looking "over the shoulder" of the government investigation.
