By Katherine Skiba, Tribune Washington Bureau –
WASHINGTON —Sen. Joseph Lieberman said Sunday that the Homeland Security Committee he chairs would hold a public hearing this week to explore such questions as whether the Secret Service sex scandal in Colombia was an isolated occurrence and what rules govern the conduct of agents who are on assignment but off-duty.
“From what we know about what happened in Cartagena, they were not acting like Secret Service agents,” said Lieberman, I-Conn. “They were acting like a bunch of college students away on spring weekend.”
Lieberman, on “Fox News Sunday,” said there have been many cases in which enemies have compromised intelligence with sex, but there was no evidence in this case that privileged information had been leaked.
Lieberman said he did not know if agents had previously acted inappropriately and said he could not confirm reports that traces of cocaine were found in one agent’s hotel room.
He also said the White House should be aggressively looking at whether any of its advance personnel was caught up in the scandal.
When it comes to protecting the president and ensuring the continuity of government, it is important to ask every possible question about what happened and what could be done to stop the behavior, Lieberman said.
He said he didn’t want agents spending a lot of time drinking vodka and carousing with women before they go on duty to protect the president. He noted that agents are prohibited from using intoxicants six hours before going on duty.
Six agents have been forced out of the agency in the scandal, which involved U.S. security and military personnel and Colombian prostitutes before the president’s trip to Colombia earlier this month.