Secret Service Deleted Jan. 6 Text Messages: Inspector General

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

U.S. Secret Service text messages sent on the day the U.S. Capitol was breached were deleted, a watchdog said this week.

A number of texts from Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, 2021, “were erased as part of a device-replacement program,” Joseph Cuffari, the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general, told lawmakers in a July 13 letter was obtained by The Epoch Times.

The department, or DHS, is the Secret Service’s parent agency.

The deletions were done after Cuffari’s office (OIG) requested the records as part of its evaluation of the events at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to Cufarri, a Trump appointee.

Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service, said in a statement that “the insinuation that the Secret Service maliciously deleted text messages following a request is false.”

The service in January 2021 started resetting mobile phones to factory settings as part of a pre-planned system migration, according to Guglielmi. In the process, data on some phones was lost.

“DHS OIG requested electronic communications for the first time on Feb. 26, 2021, after the migration was well under way. The Secret Service notified DHS OIG of the loss of certain phones’ data, but confirmed to OIG that none of the texts it was seeking had been lost in the migration,” the spokesman said.

Cuffari said that personnel from across DHS told inspectors from his office that they could not provide records directly to OIG without a review by government attorneys. That has led to a weeks-long delay in the watchdog obtaining records “and created confusion over whether all records had been produced,” he said.

Guglielmi challenged that allegation, saying the Secret Service has been fully cooperating.

The DHS did not respond to a request for comment.

‘Deeply Concerned’

Cuffari’s letter went to the chairmen and ranking members of the House of Representatives and Senate committees for homeland security.

By Zachary Stieber

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Why Democracy, not Caesar, is the answer to our problems

Caesar-style leadership wins quick public support but inevitably sparks passionate resistance, conflict, bloodshed, and lasting social destabilization.

WATCH: Barack Obama Foments Color Revolutions in Eastern Europe

Obama astroturfed “pro-democracy” movements in Poland and Hungary to pressure their govts into accepting mass migration and social engineering.

J.B. Pritzker Puts the ILLeagals in ILLinois

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, once a California native, has revived the old “ILL” abbreviation—this time in his promotion of ILLegal aliens.

James Franklin’s contract fallout

Penn State’s decision to fire head coach James Franklin after a disappointing 22–21 home loss to Northwestern will cost an estimated $56 million buyout. 

Trump’s Middle East Trip Led to Historic Breakthroughs

Trump’s bold, unconventional strategy helped end the Israel-Hamas war and set the stage for a more stable, prosperous Middle East.

Trump Commutes Sentence of Former Rep. George Santos

President Trump commuted ex-Rep. George Santos’s seven-year prison sentence for fraud and identity theft, ordering his immediate release.

Jack Smith Referred to DOJ for Misconduct Investigation and Possible Disbarment

Former special counsel Jack Smith was criminally referred to the DOJ by Republican lawmakers for alleged misconduct and possible disbarment.

AI Is a ‘Real and Mysterious Creature,’ Not a Predictable Machine, Anthropic Co-Founder Warns

Handling AI is like dealing with “a real and mysterious creature, not a predictable machine,” said Jack Clark, co-founder of Anthropic, at a Berkeley conference.

Trump Refiles $15 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against New York Times After Court Dismissal

Trump refiled his $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, Penguin Random House, and 3 reporters after judge dismissed the case.

Army Corps of Engineers to Pause $11 Billion in Projects During Shutdown: Vought

Russ Vought, director of the White House’s OMB, has added to the growing pile of federal projects paused during the government shutdown.

Trump Signs Executive Order Putting New Restrictions on Federal Hiring

Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to restrict hiring, with exceptions for immigration, security, and political appointees.

Trump Says He Has Authorized Covert CIA Operations in Venezuela

President Trump authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela, expanding U.S. assets there to increase pressure on President Nicolás Maduro’s regime.

Trump Posthumously Awards Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Trump posthumously awarded Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the White House Rose Garden on Oct 14, Charlie's birthday.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central