The U.S. Secret Service put on leave an agent who expressed negative opinions on social media about slain conservative influencer Charlie Kirk and revoked his security clearance, two U.S. officials said.
Anthony Pough wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday that Kirk had “spewed hate and racism on his show … at the end of the day, you answer to GOD, and speak things into existence. You can only circumvent karma, she doesnt leave.”
In a memo to staff that was shared with CBS News, Secret Service Director Sean Curran said politically motivated attacks in the United States are on the rise, and staff shouldn’t exacerbate the problem.
“Let me be clear, politically motivated attacks in our nation are increasing — seemingly every day,” Curran wrote. “The men and women of the Secret Service must be focused on being the solution, not adding to the problem.”
Real Clear Politics first reported on Pough’s social media post on Kirk. Pough has not yet responded to a request for comment.
A U.S. Secret Service spokesperson said in a statement, “The U.S. Secret Service will not tolerate behavior that violates our code of conduct. This employee was immediately put on administrative leave, and an investigation has begun.”
Curran’s memo, sent Thursday night and addressed to “the Men and Women of the Secret Service,” said he was reminding employees “we swear an oath to those we protect to conduct ourselves with the highest standards of conduct on and off duty.”
“When our actions draw public attention for the wrong reasons, we fall short of that duty and compromise the trust essential to fulfill our mission,” Curran continued.
He concluded, “We must operate every day without bias towards political affiliation. We owe it to ourselves and those we are sworn to protect. Any distractions, otherwise, will not be tolerated.”