The Department of Homeland Security Inspector General’s office knew five months ago that the Secret Service had purged text messages from the time around the January 6th domestic terrorist attack on Congress but failed to inform the House Select Committee investigating the attack, the Washington Post reports.
The preservation of the text messages should have been a standard step in reviewing the protection detail for the President and Vice President during an event that ended in violence, injury and attack to law enforcement officers, Secret Service agents and even the protesters.
However, the Secret Service, which falls under the management of DHS, deleted all text messages in what it claims was a standard changeover of cell phone carriers and equipment. The Secret Service has claimed that it was the responsibility of individual agents to back up their devices, which the individuals did not do.
The fact that the DHS IG knew the messages were erased in February but had not told the January 6th Committee was brought to light by two separate whistleblowers. The missing messages include those from the Secret Service agents who were members of the details protecting Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
Trump reported physically scuffled with Secret Service agents when he was leaving the “Stop the Steal” rally where he incited the crowd to march to the Capitol. While Trump claims that the march was spontaneous, communications released by the committee show that Trump and his minions–as well as far-right ultranationalist groups–had planned for weeks to march to the Capitol after failing to overturn the results of the November election.
At the Capitol, Pence voiced concern to the head of his Secret Service detail about the trustworthiness of some members of his detail. None of the messages from his detail have been turned over to the Committee.
The fact that the DHS withheld notification to the January 6th Committee raises questions about if the Secret Service and the DHS are trying to impede the investigation into the attack on the Capitol and the role Secret Service agents may have played in supporting Trump’s attempts to undermine the certification of the Electoral College votes.
The Secret Service has turned over just one text conversation to the committee. The text messages are sought to provide information on Trump’s orders, actions and intentions on and before January 6th. They could also provide confirmation of testimony by other witnesses.
The Federal Records Act requires federal agencies to maintain certain communications. Deleting the messages could lead to charges for the agents and managers involved.