Rep. Greg Stube (R-Fla.) said Monday he was introducing the impeachment resolution, citing “dereliction of duty” by Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle in failing to protect former President Trump from would-be assassins at a rally last week.
“The Secret Service describes itself as one of the most elite law enforcement agencies in the world, and what happened on their watch in Butler, Pennsylvania is an international embarrassment and an inexcusable tragedy,” Stubbs said in a press release.
“Today, I am exercising my congressional oversight power by introducing articles of impeachment against Secretary Cheatle for dereliction of duty in connection with the assassination attempt on President Trump,” he continued.
Steve pointed to reports showing the Secret Service was alerted to suspicious activity well before the actual shooting. Trump was escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents after being grazed by a bullet in his ear. One rally attendee, Corey Comperatore, was killed trying to shield his family from the gunfire and two others were seriously injured.
As the days pass since the attack, questions are growing about how armed assailants were able to enter a building just about 130 yards from the rally’s stage, allowing them an unobstructed view of the former president.
“Every superior in that chain of command should be fired immediately, starting with the director. The Secret Service’s failure to protect President Trump resulted in the death of an American hero and several others being seriously injured,” he said, adding that “everyone up the chain of command, including the director, should be held accountable.”
Steub’s resolution includes one article of impeachment for “dereliction of duty.”
The article said Cheatle “failed in the agency’s mission and statutory duties to ‘ensure the safety and security’ of ‘protected persons, places of significance, and events of national significance.'” It noted that “the Secret Service is tasked with protecting not only former presidents but also ‘major presidential candidates.'”
The impeachment resolution also criticizes Cheatle’s focus on increasing the number of female agents, including setting a goal of having 30% of all new agents be women by 2030. The article suggests that Cheatle “chose to focus on a new agent’s gender rather than their fitness for the job.”
“Through these actions, Director Cheatle has failed in his duties to lead the Secret Service in a manner that effectively protects those he protects, including President Donald Trump. Accordingly, Kimberly A. Cheatle, for such conduct, deserves impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification from holding or enjoying any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States,” the resolution concludes.
The resolution comes amid growing calls for Cheatle to resign, particularly after his testimony before the House Oversight Committee failed to address some of lawmakers’ key questions about the shooting.
In an unusual move, Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) sent a joint letter after the hearing calling for her resignation.
“Particularly given her damning testimony before the Oversight Committee today, in which she failed to adequately answer any questions at all and has strengthened her refusal to resign, we have no choice but to impeach Director Cheatle,” Stube added in the release.
The Hill has asked the U.S. Secret Service for a response.
