Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is asking the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Secret Service for answers about their funding and payments to agents.
New whistleblower records allege a failure of the U.S. Secret Service to provide funding for Homeland Security “jump teams” and their travel to support security efforts on the campaign trail ahead of the November election.
One email sent on Sept. 26 read, “Subject: Jump Team ‐ Out of Money,” according to a record obtained by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and his oversight team.
The Department of Homeland Security’s investigation unit jump team provides “a mechanism to build the connections between mission support and the front-line,” according to the DHS website.
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Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), an agency within DHS, is charged with addressing global threats.
“Jump Team members are responsible for helping to solve immediate issues, guide how funding is allocated, and to assist in developing solutions to deliver support most effectively to our front-line,” the DHS website added.
In the wake of two separate assassination attempts against former President Trump, who is currently campaigning to be president again, jump teams have been deployed to assist the U.S. Secret Service.
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However, the documents provided to Grassley’s office via legally protected whistleblower disclosures show that fears of unpreparedness and mismanagement in the DHS and Secret Service could still be true, despite efforts to ramp up security.
“Please do not submit or resubmit Jump Team authorizations. There is only $33 on the line right now,” DHS officials told HSI agents on Sept. 9, per Grassley. The senator’s office pointed to this email as an example of just how low the funds had fallen.
On Sept. 26, agents were informed, “We will not receive more money for Jump Team this year.”
The email instructed agents not to use the usual methods of expensing items, laying out a process of what to do instead.
“If by some miracle money is added, you will be notified immediately,” the email continued.
“The Secret Service has a critical, no-fail protective mission to carry out. Based on protected whistleblower disclosures, it neglected to transfer enough funds for HSI to reimburse its agents, calling into question the agency’s ability to manage federal resources and raising major concerns,” Grassley said in a statement. “Congress and the American people have witnessed too many Secret Service shortfalls in recent months — they deserve answers, and it’s Congress’ job to bring transparency and accountability.”
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In the Sept. 26 email from a DHS official, they revealed that “we had over $371,000 worth of Jump Team Authorizations Fail last night.”
According to Grassley’s office and the documents it has obtained, agents have been required to pay for expenses the agency can’t cover. The senator noted that this would be in violation of the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits agencies from obligating or spending federal funds before they are appropriated.
Reimbursements to agents are also apparently being delayed, and employees are left with uncertainty about their pay.
In a Wednesday letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas; acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe; Patrick Lechleitner, the deputy director and senior official performing the duties of the director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and Katrina Berger, HSI executive associate director, Grassley described that “HSI agents are deployed, usually on very short notice, across the country on Jump Teams from as short as a few days for as long as multiple weeks, several times throughout the year.”
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“The whistleblower disclosures further show that in some cases HSI agents have had to pay for their own travel expenses such as flights, food, rental cars, and hotels, and other incidentals, because HSI has delayed reimbursing agents for costs due to the Secret Service failing to transfer funds to HSI.”
“If you have an explanation to add context to these emails, I welcome it,” he told the leaders.
Grassley requested additional information from the department and agencies, including documentation about the finances of HSI and its jump teams.
“DHS responds to congressional correspondence directly via official channels, and the Department will continue to respond to congressional oversight,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
The Secret Service did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital.
