Authored by Ken Silva via Headline USA,
Fox News reported Tuesday that Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe has asked Michael Plati, the assistant director of the agency’s office of protective operations, to retire from his position.
Plati may have been the one signing off on denying Donald Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and others additional security resources. According to journalist Susan Crabtree, Plati’s department was the one that repeatedly denied requests for extra security assets to Trump.
Fox News said that Plati is expected to retire “in the coming days.” The news comes as Rowe is set to brief Congress on what the Secret Service has learned in the wake of the July 13 Trump assassination attempt.
Plati’s retirement also comes as Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Ka., seeks to widen the DHS Inspector General’s investigation into the Secret Service’s failures at the Trump rally. Marshall wants DHG IG Joseph Cuffari to identify the specific individuals responsible for making decisions in Trump’s security planning—which may include Plati.
But if Plati indeed retires, the DHS-IG won’t be able to legally compel him for an interview.
The Secret Service has yet to comment on Plati’s rumored retirement.
Meanwhile, the scandal-mired agency has turned to the Defense Department for help securing 2024 campaign events.The Pentagon announced on Aug. 29 that the U.S. Northern Command will assist the Secret Service for the presidential and vice-presidential campaigns through Inauguration Day 2025.
“As part of this effort, the Department of Defense is providing the U.S. Secret Service with additional assistance including logistics, transportation and communications, through the 2024 campaign season,” Secret Service spokesman Guglielmi said in a Defense Department press release.
The Secret Service faces a reported 650-agent deficit for the United Nations General Assembly, which is scheduled to begin today in New York City. According to Crabtree, there are concerns in the Secret Service that the Pentagon’s soldiers don’t have proper training, and that their presence will create the perception that the U.S. has turned into a militarized police state.
However, the Pentagon insisted in its press release that there’s nothing unusual about its decision.
“The Department of Defense has supported Secret Service protective activities for the sitting president and vice president since Congress passed the Presidential Protection Assistance Act of 1976,” said Anthony Guglielmi, the chief of communications for the Secret Service.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.