A U.S. Secret Service (USSS) employee assigned to Vice President JD Vance’s protective detail has been placed on administrative leave after an undercover video released by independent journalist James O’Keefe allegedly showed the employee leaking sensitive security information, according to Fox News.
The Secret Service confirmed it is investigating the incident and said the employee’s security clearance has been suspended and access to agency facilities and systems revoked. The episode is reigniting concerns about operational security inside the agency at a time when national political tensions—and threats against Republican leaders—are already at historic highs.
USSS Deputy Director Matthew Quinn told Fox News in a statement:
“The U.S. Secret Service has no tolerance for any behavior that could potentially compromise the safety, privacy or trust of our protectees. This incident is under investigation and the employee involved has been placed on administrative leave with his clearance suspended and access to agency facilities and systems revoked.
“The U.S. Secret Service has also issued an order for all personnel to retake the agency’s required anti-espionage training in order to ensure employees are aware of the threats posed by individuals aiming to exploit agency employees for information about our protective operations,” Quinn added.
“The U.S. Secret Service has a 160-year-old tradition of discretion that sets this agency apart, and we have no tolerance for employees who fail to meet this standard. The U.S. Secret Service deeply apologizes to the Vance family for this violation of their trust and privacy. The faith our protectees place in this agency is not something the U.S. Secret Service takes lightly, and we are committed to taking the necessary actions to ensure that a similar breach of standards does not occur again,” the statement concluded.
Undercover Footage Allegedly Shows Agent Sharing Sensitive Protection Details
In a post on X, O’Keefe claimed undercover footage shows a USSS agent assigned to Vice President Vance’s protective detail sharing sensitive information with someone he believed was a romantic interest.
According to O’Keefe, the agent discussed protective formations, shift schedules, travel movements and advance security procedures, and allegedly sent images while aboard Air Force Two. In the post, O’Keefe wrote that the agent was “recorded on hidden camera providing an undercover journalist with sensitive security information” and allegedly discussed “protective formations, shift schedules, travel plans, & real-time locations.”
O’Keefe also claimed the employee shared information “sometimes days in advance” and acknowledged signing paperwork prohibiting disclosure of the privileged details.
O’Keefe alleged the agent is a “holdover from the Biden administration” who holds anti-ICE and anti-Trump administration personal views—an accusation that, if substantiated, is likely to raise new scrutiny over internal culture and accountability inside an agency that is supposed to remain professional and nonpartisan.
O’Keefe said his organization coordinated with the Secret Service before publication and redacted certain operational details at the agency’s request.
Watch:
A Serious Breach as Political Threats Surge
The incident comes as political violence and targeted threats are becoming a grim reality for Republican leaders, including both President Trump and Vice President Vance.
In recent weeks, the threats against Vance have not been theoretical. A federal judge ordered a Cincinnati man accused of vandalizing Vance’s home to remain jailed ahead of trial after prosecutors alleged he breached the property line and damaged windows and security systems.
The Secret Service was also recently notified of a volunteer radio show host posting assassination threats against VP Vance on the left-wing website Bluesky.
“It’s simple, we kill JD Vance,” said the person behind an account named hanslopez.bsky.social. The person identified themselves as a host of a radio show on WUML, which is funded by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. The comment was made in response to another Bluesky user who claimed that, “JD VANCE THINKS BRITAIN & FRANCE ARE AMERICAS [sic] LIKELY ENEMIES.”
When the school learned of the post, it contacted authorities, according to a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
“UMass Lowell police promptly coordinated with the FBI, Secret Service and Haverhill police the same day to ensure an appropriate response,” the school said. “Contact was made with the individual in question, and the necessary assessments were conducted in collaboration with federal partners. Authorities confirmed there was no immediate threat.”
More broadly, the Secret Service has faced increasing scrutiny since the assassination attempt against Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. A Senate Judiciary Committee release tied to a Grassley-requested report said the Secret Service received classified intelligence about a threat to Trump roughly 10 days before the rally—but failed to share it with law enforcement responsible for securing the event.
That backdrop makes the alleged leak involving Vance’s detail even more alarming to critics, since protective operations depend heavily on secrecy, discipline, and strict compliance—not casual conversation or personal judgment calls.
What Happens Next
The Secret Service is tasked with protecting the president, vice president and other designated officials, operating under strict confidentiality rules governing operations.
Officials have not provided a timeline for the investigation’s completion, and it remains unclear whether criminal charges could follow.
