Secret Service adds former Biden agents to his new protection detail after worry over pro-Trump personnel
The Secret Service garnered criticism recently for allowing a former protection-detail leader to transition to a White House role under Trump.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The U.S. Secret Service is reportedly bringing back agents who previously served on President-elect Joe Biden's detail after his campaign raised concerns that certain agents already in place were politically aligned with President Trump.
A spokesperson for Biden told Fox News the transition team had "no comment" on the matter, but the Washington Post reported that at least two members of Biden's security detail when he was vice-president will be returning to head the new team.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Those from Biden's old crew include Darryl Volpicelli, who will become the second-in-command for Biden’s security detail, and Brian McDonough, who will become a senior detail supervisor, sources told The Post.
In addition, David Cho, the current second-in-command of the protective detail for Trump, will be named the new special agent in charge for Biden's detail, the source said.
Security reassignments aren't uncommon for the department, and agents are expected to provide protection notwithstanding their political opinions, a federal law enforcement agent told Fox News.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Secret Service has garnered criticism recently, however, for decisions to allow a former detail leader, Anthony Ornato, to transition to a White House role as deputy chief of staff to Trump.
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Ornato has been embroiled in controversial moves by Trump's team, including staging a photoshoot at a church across from Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C, amid protests during the summer of 2020 decrying police brutality against Black people.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ornato will transition back to the Secret Service at the end of Trump's term, becoming the assistant director overseeing the agency’s Rowley Training Center, the Post reported.
The Secret Service did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A spokeswoman for the agency, Catherine Milhoan, told the Post: "The U.S. Secret Service is uniquely authorized to provide protection to designated U.S. and other world leaders and remains steadfastly dedicated to a standard of excellence in those operations, wholly apolitically and unaffiliated with the political parties of protectees."