The director of the Secret Service said Friday he first heard rumors about employees of his agency circulating unflattering information about a top Republican lawmaker earlier than he initially reported.
Director Joe Clancy said in a statement he was first aware of the “speculative rumor” of members of his agency discussing Rep. Jason Chaffetz’s records on March 25. Previously, Clancy said he first heard about the information from the media April 1.
Clancy said when he first heard the information it was “not credible and was not attributed to a source of information or indicative of any action.”
An investigation released Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security found that a top official at the agency encouraged colleagues via email to release records on Chaffetz contained “some information that he might find embarrassing needs to get out.”
The Daily Beast shortly thereafter reported that Chaffetz had been rejected in 2003 by the agency he now oversees as a committee chairman.
Clancy said he didn’t learn until later that Secret Service employees had accessed the private records of Chaffetz, and leaked that he applied unsuccessfully for a job at the agency.
“I feel it is extremely important to be as accurate as possible regarding my knowledge of this matter and I have personally spoken to Chairman Chaffetz to advise him of the additional information that I provided to the Inspector General,” Clancy said.
