U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has sent a letter to Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe following new whistleblower claims alleging that Rowe’s actions contributed to the agency’s failures in protecting former President Donald Trump.
“Since your testimony before the Senate of July 30, new and disturbing information has come to light about Secret Service planning for the Butler, Pennsylvania Trump campaign event—and your own involvement,” wrote Senator Hawley.
“The whistleblower further alleges that you personally directed significant cuts to CSD, up to and including reducing the division’s manpower by twenty percent,” Senator Hawley continued. “The whistleblower also alleges retaliation against those within the Secret Service who expressed concern about the security at President Trump’s events.”
This letter follows a heated exchange between Senator Hawley and Rowe on Tuesday, during which Rowe confirmed that the Secret Service refused drones from local law enforcement—a detail revealed by a whistleblower in contact with Hawley’s office.
Rowe also acknowledged other whistleblower allegations brought to Hawley’s office claiming agents abandoned their post on the roof where Trump’s attempted-assassin shot from due to heat.
In his letter, dated August 1, 2024, addressed to Acting Director Rowe at U.S. Secret Service headquarters in Washington D.C., Senator Hawley detailed specific allegations made by a whistleblower. The claims include that the Counter Surveillance Division (CSD) did not perform its typical evaluation of the Butler site and was not present on the day of Trump’s rally. This absence allegedly led to significant security oversights.
Senator Hawley requested detailed information from Acting Director Rowe by August 8, 2024. He asked for records related to policy and personnel changes in CSD during Rowe’s tenure as Deputy Director, details of Rowe’s involvement in these changes, data on disciplinary actions against agents who raised security concerns, and a breakdown of personnel at the July 13 rally by division or unit.
Hawley awaits a response from Acting Director Rowe.
