"Up to a dozen Secret Service agents in Colombia for President Barack Obama’s trip there have been relieved of their duties amid allegations of misconduct. The Secret Service did not detail the accusations but said they did not affect security for the president, who landed in the country Friday for a weekend at the Summit of the Americas.
The Associated Press reported that the allegations involve prostitutes. A senior official told Fox News they were serious enough to require mediation by diplomats. “There have been allegations of misconduct made against Secret Service personnel in Cartagena, Colombia prior to the President’s trip. Because of this, those personnel are being relieved of their assignments, returned to their place of duty, and are being replaced by other Secret Service personnel,” Edwin Donovan, Secret Service spokesman, said in a statement.
“The Secret Service takes all allegations of misconduct seriously. This entire matter has been turned over to our Office of Professional Responsibility, which serves as the agency’s internal affairs component,” Donovan said. “These personnel changes will not affect the comprehensive security plan that has been prepared in advance of the President’s trip.”
Donovan would not release further details, and the White House referred all questions about the episode to the Secret Service.
The story broke as Obama was preparing to attend a gala dinner with more than 30 leaders gathered for the summit.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/75128.html
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