A United States Secret Service agent is facing serious disciplinary proceedings after an alleged drunken rampage at a hotel in Laurel, Maryland, that resulted in significant property damage and confrontations with staff.
The incident, which took place on a Friday night, saw the off-duty agent, identified as Sean Gallagher, become so intoxicated and disruptive that hotel management was forced to contact his superiors in Washington DC to intervene.
Chaos and Damage at the Hotel
According to official documents and a police report obtained by The Independent, the agent's behaviour escalated to the point where he was kicking doors and causing substantial damage to his room. The situation grew so severe that the hotel's staff felt threatened and unable to manage the individual on their own.
In a desperate move to de-escalate the situation, a hotel employee placed a call to the Secret Service's Washington DC field office. The agency subsequently dispatched agents to the scene to retrieve their colleague and bring the chaotic episode to an end.
Congress Launches Formal Inquiry
The fallout from the event has reached the highest levels of oversight. The House Committee on Homeland Security, chaired by Mark Green, has taken a keen interest in the affair.
The committee has formally written to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, demanding a comprehensive briefing and the preservation of all documents related to the incident. This move signals serious congressional concern regarding the conduct of personnel entrusted with protecting public figures.
A Pattern of Behaviour?
This is not the first time Agent Gallagher's conduct has been called into question. The congressional letter to Director Cheatle hints at previous, unspecified 'patterns of behaviour' that may have been overlooked, suggesting this hotel incident might be part of a wider problem.
The Secret Service has confirmed it is aware of the event and that the agent has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a full internal investigation. The agency stated it holds all its personnel to the highest professional and ethical standards.
The city of Laurel, Maryland, just outside Washington DC, now finds itself at the centre of an embarrassing scandal for the prestigious federal law enforcement agency.
