A nonprofit organization that advocates for women's issues plans to sue the U.S. Secret Service for “arbitrary” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that harm female employees.
The lawsuit comes more than two months after female USSS members assigned to former President Trump's subordinates pointed fingers at former President Trump's July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. As the incident unfolded, a 20-year-old gunman entered a nearby rooftop and opened fire. toward Trump with an automatic rifle.
“In our country, it's illegal for the government to discriminate on the basis of gender. That's the 14th Amendment,” Mae Mehlman, director of the Independent Women's Forum, told FOX News Digital. “But Title VII also prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of gender.Yet the Secret Service, all government agencies, says it wants a 30 percent quota for women. ”
A Secret Service spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the agency does not comment on pending litigation matters.
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A liberal author and New York University history professor says former President Donald Trump's assassination attempt makes him more similar to Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Mehlman added that there is a “30×30” pledge in which various law enforcement agencies are working toward the goal of achieving 30% women in the workforce.
“And we know that Kim Cheatle took this very seriously. We know that she made hiring decisions based on this,” Mailman said. he said.
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In 2022, President Biden appointed former USSS chief Kimberly Cheatle, who resigned after an assassination attempt in July, making her the second woman to do so. lead an agency.
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle speaks before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee regarding the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a campaign event in Pennsylvania, Monday, July 22, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington. testifies. (AP Photo/Rod Lambkey Jr.)
Mr. Cheatle previously served as senior director of global security at PepsiCo, where he was responsible for leading and implementing security protocols at the company's facilities in North America.
Critics have accused Cheatle of prioritizing an ideology rooted in DEI rather than focusing solely on hiring the best talent for the agency. During his time with the Secret Service, Cheatle has emphasized the importance of increasing diversity in the service. The origin of the female ratio of 30% is 2023 CBS Report The agency said it is considering hiring more women to make up 30 percent of the USSS workforce.
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“As I sit in this chair right now, I am very conscious of the need to make sure we attract diverse candidates, and that we need to make sure we develop and provide opportunities for all of our employees, especially women. “I'm doing it,” Cheatle told the outlet.
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According to , women currently make up 24% of the USSS workforce. Agency website.
The Diplomatic Security Service (which is a protection agency of the State Department, whereas the Secret Service is overseen by the Department of Homeland Security) has made a similar commitment to “increase the proportion of women in the recruiting class to 30 percent by 2030.” is listed. As stated in the April press release.
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Former President Donald Trump's shoes are left on stage after he is helped off stage during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show Co. in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday, July 13, 2024. Trump ducked and was removed from the stage after a loud bang was heard after speaking. We started talking. (Javin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Mehlman cited three reasons why the IWF objects to the 30% pledge. First, “this is illegal and should not discriminate on the basis of gender,” she said. Second, hiring based not only on job expertise or qualifications but also on gender and other identifying factors is “particularly dangerous in the Secret Service.” Third, “it's especially harmful to women,” Mehlman said.
”[W]As soon as the photos from that day were released, it seemed like these women were all cops and couldn't find their holsters. ”
“I'm sure it's not easy being a woman in a male-dominated field, including the Secret Service. But as we all remember, when the photos from that day were released, It felt like all these women were police officers, 'I can't find my holster,''' Mehlman explained. “The blame for everything, it seems, has always been on women, including Kim Cheatle. That's what happens when you have a quota system… It turns women into tokens, and that's what's being respected. It's really difficult for women to move into male-dominated fields. ”
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The agents faced criticism from conservative figures including Matt Walsh, Dinesh D'Souza and even Elon Musk for their response to the assassination attempt.
“It is an insult to women in our agency to imply that they are not qualified based on their gender.”
“As an elite law enforcement agency, all of our agents and employees are highly trained and fully qualified to perform their duties. is an insult to the women of our agency. Such unsubstantiated claims undermine the legal basis of our law enforcement agency's professionalism, dedication, and expertise.” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement to Politico following the criticism. “We stand united against any attempt to discredit our personnel and their valuable contributions to our mission, and we are appalled by derogatory and offensive comments about our personnel. .”
President Trump defended the female operatives who protected him on July 13th.
Former Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is interviewed by U.S. Secret Service agents during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“All of them, none of them were slow. The woman on my right side protected me,” he told the rally. St. Cloud, Minnesota; Two weeks after the assassination attempt. “She's a beautiful person. She did her best to protect me. And she was devastated. And she was criticized by fake news because she wasn't tall enough.”
IWF is participating in an investigation by the Mountain States Legal Foundation into the Secret Service's reliance on DEI policies for hiring, retention, and promotion.
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“Protecting candidates for President of the United States is essential to the functioning of the Republic, and the devastating consequences of an assassination cannot be understated. Yet the Secret Service prioritizes DEI challenges over the needs of the President's employment.” If it takes a lawsuit to change that, so be it,'' Will Trackman, general counsel at the Mountain States Legal Foundation, said in a statement.
U.S. Secret Service agents surround a vehicle carrying Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
IWF and the Mountain States Legal Affairs Bureau also believe the 30% quota is “arbitrary.” “Why not 31%? Why not 29%?” asked the mailman.
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“We want women to be seen and treated as hard-core badasses,” she said. “We don’t know because everything is tainted by the quota system.”
These organizations are recruiting more people who have experienced discrimination in hiring or promotion by the Secret Service and are looking for people to come forward and share their stories.
Fox News' Michael Dorgan and Hannah Grossman contributed to this report.
