Secret Service agent accused of groping Kamala Harris' assistant

A U.S. Secret Service agent has been placed on leave following allegations of sexual misconduct against an aide to Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Secret Service confirmed to the BBC on Wednesday that it was investigating an unidentified agent, but gave no details, adding that it “maintains its personnel to the highest standards.”

The vice president's office said it had been briefed on the incident and investigation but declined to elaborate. A source confirmed to the BBC that the incident involved a Harris employee.

This comes amid increasing scrutiny of law enforcement agencies tasked with protecting the president, vice president and other senior officials.

The vice president's office said in a statement to the BBC that “we have zero tolerance for sexual misconduct.”

The agent under investigation was reportedly traveling with Harris staff in Wisconsin last week to sort out logistics for a visit by the Democratic presidential candidate.

According to US BBC partner CBS, the agent in question allegedly groped the Harris adviser in front of others in a hotel room after dinner and drinks. The agent appeared to be drunk, the Associated Press reports, citing sources.

Vice presidential aides and Secret Service officials were in the city of Green Bay last week scouting locations for an event scheduled to take place last Friday.

However, Harris chose to go to Atlanta, Georgia instead.

The revelations came as a congressional panel released a damning report on numerous Secret Service failures leading up to the assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in July.

The Republican nominee is at risk because of a “foreseeable” breakdown in communications and coordination among law enforcement partners, the Senate Homeland Security Committee said.

The agency is currently seeking a $3bn (£2.2bn) increase in its annual budget so it can hire more agents, update equipment and expand training to carry out its mission in what it calls a “hyperdynamic threat environment”. can.

A Gallup poll released Monday found a 23-point decline in the percentage of Americans who rate the Secret Service's performance as satisfactory.