Rep. Greg Steube Moves to Impeach Kimberly A. Cheatle, Director of the United States Secret Service for Enabling an Attempted Trump Assassination
“After her abysmal testimony today and insistence on refusing to resign, we have no choice but to impeach Director Cheatle”
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) today filed an article of impeachment against Kimberly A. Cheatle, Director of the United States Secret Service (USSS) for her dereliction of duty by failing to ensure the safety of President Trump, the leading 2024 Presidential candidate. The USSS made decisions that enabled a shooter to target and injure President Trump in an attempted assassination.
“The Secret Service calls themselves ‘one of the most elite law enforcement agencies in the world’. What happened under their watch in Butler, Pennsylvania was an international embarrassment and an inexcusable tragedy,” said Rep. Greg Steube. “Today I’m exercising our Congressional authority of oversight by filing an article of impeachment against Director Cheatle for her dereliction of duty as it relates to the assassination attempt on President Trump’s life. As she said herself in a recent interview, the “buck stops with me.” Multiple confirmed reports show that the Secret Service Sniper had the would-be assassin in his sights for almost 20 minutes. How was the would-be assassin not neutralized before he shot? Every supervisor in that chain of command should be fired immediately and that starts with the Director. An American hero is dead and several severely wounded as a result of the Secret Service failure to protect President Trump. There are also multiple reports that Trump’s detail had repeatedly requested additional resources for safety and were denied. All in the chain of command including the Director should be held responsible.”
“Particularly after her abysmal testimony today before the Oversight Committee, where little to no questions were properly answered and she doubled down on her refusal to resign, we have no choice but to impeach Director Cheatle,” said Rep. Steube.
It’s been widely reported that the Secret Service knew of a threat to President Trump before he went out on stage, and that agents had identified the shooter as a person of interest over an hour before the shots were fired. Further, it’s been reported that a USSS counter sniper had spotted the shooter on the rooftop with a direct line of sight to President Trump’s stage 20 minutes before the shots were fired.
By Providence alone, President Trump survived the attempt on his life while being grazed by a bullet that injured his ear. Tragically, a rally attendee, Corey Comperatore, was fatally struck by a bullet in the attack and other rally attendees were injured.
Under 18 U.SC. § 3056, the Secret Service is tasked with providing protection to former Presidents as well as major Presidential candidates.
View the Impeachment Article linked here and below:
Impeaching Kimberly A. Cheatle, Director of the United States Secret Service, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
Resolved, That Kimberly A. Cheatle, Director of the United States Secret Service, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate:
Articles of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people of the United States of America, against Kimberly A. Cheatle, Director of the United States Secret Service, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against her for high crimes and misdemeanors.
ARTICLE I: DERELICTION OF DUTY
The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment” and that civil Officers of the United States, including the Director of the Secret Service, “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”. In her conduct as Director of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle has negligently failed to uphold the agency’s mission and statutory charge to “ensure the safety and security” of “protectees, key locations, and events of national significance.” Under 18 U.SC. § 3056, the Secret Service is tasked with providing protection to former Presidents as well as “major Presidential candidates.”
On July 13, 2024, President Donald Trump, a former President and a “major Presidential candidate” under the statutory definition, was the target of an assassination attempt at a speech in Butler, Pennsylvania. By Providence alone, President Trump survived the attempt on his life while being grazed by a bullet that injured his ear. Tragically, a rally attendee, Corey Comperatore, was fatally struck by a bullet in the attack.
The attacker was able to access the roof of a building approximately 130 yards away with an unobstructed line of sight to President Trump on the event stage. He then fired multiple rounds aimed at President Trump before being neutralized by counter snipers.
In a media interview, Director Cheatle noted that neither Secret Service personnel nor local law enforcement secured the roof of the building due to a slight slope at the roof’s apex. She stated, “That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, you know, there’s a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn’t want to put somebody up on a sloped roof. And so, you know, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside.” Due to this failure, the shooter was able to access the roof unimpeded by personnel charged with site security. Director Cheatle also stated in the interview that “the buck stops with me.”
Despite initial denials, Secret Service leadership reportedly denied requests for enhanced security for President Trump repeatedly over the past two years. Reports indicate that senior officials rejected several requests for additional agents, magnetometers, and counter snipers for outdoor events.
Under Director Cheatle’s leadership, the United States Secret Service has turned its focus away from solely providing the best protection services possible for protectees to meet arbitrarily set diversity hiring quotas. While already facing significant hiring and retention challenges, the Director established a goal for 30 percent of all recruits to be female by 2030. While the mission of the agency is to provide protection to its protectees, Director Cheatle chose to focus on the gender of recruits instead of their fitness for the job.
Through these actions, Director Cheatle has demonstrated a neglect for her duty to lead the Secret Service in a manner that provides effective protection to protectees, including President Donald Trump.
Wherefore, Kimberly A. Cheatle, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.
