A U.S. Secret Service agent assigned to protect Vice President JD Vance has been placed on administrative leave while investigators examine claims that the agent leaked confidential information about the vice president’s movements.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the agent is under internal investigation over claims that sensitive travel details were shared with the media. Another source said officials believe they have identified the person responsible for the alleged leak.
In a statement, the Secret Service confirmed that a member of the Vice President’s protective team is facing an administrative investigation and could also be subject to a criminal inquiry. However, the agency did not reveal what information was allegedly leaked.
The agency said any action that damages trust between officials under protection and their security team, or puts a protectee’s safety at risk, will not be tolerated.
The investigation is being handled by the Secret Service’s internal affairs unit. It is still unclear whether the agent will face disciplinary action or criminal charges.
The agent is suspected of providing information for a recent news report that discussed Vice President Vance’s travel schedule and the challenges it created for his security team. The report also mentioned planned travel involving Vance and his son, including a helicopter trip that was later cancelled.
For years, law enforcement officials have raised concerns about the pressure created by Vance’s often changing travel plans. These frequent schedule changes have reportedly placed extra demands on Secret Service agents, who are already dealing with staff shortages and long working hours.
The news report reportedly angered officials at the Secret Service, the FBI, and the White House because it included operational details about the vice president’s security arrangements.
A White House official described the alleged leak as a serious security breach and said Vice President Vance and his family were concerned about the disclosure. A former Secret Service agent also warned that revealing travel plans, especially those involving a protected child, could create significant security risks.
The report also claimed that some agents on Vance’s security team were unhappy with frequent last-minute travel changes, which often forced them to cancel time off or rearrange personal plans. It further noted that some current and former supervisors viewed the reported plan to use a government helicopter for one of Vance’s son’s activities as highly unusual.
