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THE WHITE HOUSE has said that President Barack Obama has “absolute confidence” in the Secret Service leaders, despite new reports of misconduct by agents, including extramarital affairs and visits to prostitutes.
“The president believes deeply that the vast majority of the men and women who work for the US Secret Service exemplify the highest standards of service,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
“He believes that the leadership at the Secret Service, including the new director, will address matters as they arise, appropriately,” said Carney.
“But it is important to note that the president believes very strongly that these men and women are professionals and that they put their lives on the line to protect the commander in chief, protect the president, protect his or her family.”
The Washington Post reported that agents had misbehaved in 17 countries in recent years, according to accounts given by whistleblowers to a Senate committee that oversees the Secret Service.
The Post said two people briefed on the accounts said they include agents and managers hiring prostitutes and visiting brothels during official trips.
They also allegedly had extramarital affairs on the road, and had one-night stands or long-term relationships with foreign nationals that were not properly reported, the Post said.
The Post said one whistleblower told the paper that senior management was aware of agents hiring prostitutes on foreign and domestic trips.
The paper reported this week that two agents were removed from Obama’s security detail after allegedly sending sexually explicit emails to a female subordinate.
One of those disciplined, Ignacio Zamora, had led an internal probe into a scandal last year in which more than a dozen Secret Service agents drank and caroused with prostitutes ahead of a presidential visit for an international summit in the city of Cartagena.
The Secret Service learned of Zamora’s e-mails to the subordinate after he tried to retrieve a bullet that he had left behind in a woman’s room at the posh Hay-Adams hotel near the White House, the Post says.
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These people must not have seen AIB’s latest advertising campaign – theme “brave”, as it getting up early, sticking to the task and running your business. It appears AIB have become a river of lending to hard pressed sme’s and the farming community. A most disgraceful and dishonest ad campaign in my opinion.
All of the adds for banks are dishonest. They are all giving mortgages and loans to SMEs but in reality this is a charade. You only have to talk to solicitors who will tell you that clients are being turned down for mortgages for the flimsiest of excuses. The current advertising campaigns are to give the impression that everything is back to normal.
Makes you feel good that we bailed the banks out,doesn’t it!
” Brave ” how are you! You would need to be brave…and foolhardy….If you thought approaching the back might make a difference to your struggling. The economy continues to limp along for all those brave hearts at the bottom of the pile while those with large cash deposits get bigger and richer. Only a fool would believe the spin the government espouse. There is no recovery, there is no trickle down, there are still empty shop units all over the country. And it’s too late for lending, what’s needed are grants, vat and tax breaks, lower rates and a commitment to changing the upwards only rent reviews.
I am so glad someone else made reference to that ad! It’s awful condescending Shi*e. the absolute cheek of AIB to put out an ad like that. The voice over is an appalling choice. Completely out of touch with reality.
This is the sort of evidence out there that shows where our economy is truly at and not the crap that is spun by FG & Labour. You can’t tax the crap out of people to pay debt, run a high spend economy and expect growth.
If Morgan Kelly’s recent prediction is correct, the outstanding loans to small business, if called in by the banks, is the biggest threat to the economy.
The gov have been choosing public sector and bondholders over private sector. Every tax hike means a loss of business to a restaurant and most small service businesses out there. Then you have Nama forcing zombie businesses to compete with ligit ones. And if you have survived all that the local council will be gouging the business in return for very little. The Irish Economy seems to be using Atlas Shrugged as a strategic plan.
This is the sort of evidence out there that shows where our economy is truly at and not the crap that is spun by FG & Labour. You can’t tax the crap out of people to pay debt, run a high spend economy and expect growth.
What happened to businesses maintaining proper current ratios and acid test ratios to ensure their short term expenses are covered? The SME sector insisted on maxing out every line of credit they could possibly set their eyes on..and more.
have your say