White House: Staff members not involved in scandal
(CBS News) White House press secretary Jay Carney revealed Monday that the White House conducted its own investigation over the weekend to see if there was involvement of White House staff members in the Secret Service sex scandal.
"Simply out of due diligence, over the last several days that review was conducted, and it produced no indication of any misconduct," Carney said.
Secret Service sex scandal continues to widen
VIDEO: Panetta suspends clearances of military involved in scandal
White House says staff clear in SS scandal
Monday the the number of military personnel involved grew to 12. On a plane to South America, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said those with security clearances have had them revoked.
"Frankly, my biggest concern is the issue of security and what could have possibly been jeopardized by virtue of this kind of behavior," Panetta said.
The first to blow the whistle on the misconduct was Paula Reid, a 21-year veteran of the Secret Service.
Now the agency's South America chief, Reid was in Cartagena, Colombia preparing for the President's arrival when she first heard of the agents' behavior and acted decisively. She pulled registration records from the Hotel Caribe, helped removed the 11 Secret Service agents and officers from the country and worked to replace them with new Secret Service officials.
"She acted very quickly, very strong and right by the books. And, if that were ever a time that should be done, it's this time," said Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, Chairman of the Judiciary committee which oversees the Secret Service.
Investigators in Cartagena are now wrapping up an investigation that a twelfth Secret Service agent brought a girl to the same hotel the President was going to stay at.
