Nightly News | April 22, 2012
Female Secret Service agent took control
The Secret Service agent who spearheaded the initial investigation into the Cartagena prostitution scandal is a woman and 21-year veteran. NBC’s Kristen Welker reports.
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This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.
>>> there are growing calls for members of congress to look beyond just the 12 employees investigation in the colombian scandal.
>> reporter: secret service agent paula reed was on the 2001 inaugural day. colleagues say she was the cream of the krob then. now the 21-year veteran has become one of the agency's highest ranking african-americans. she spearheaded the agency's initial response to the prostitution scandal in cartagena. sounding the alarm to washington, just hours before the president's arrival. today the secret service said she responded swiftly and took control of the situation, and initiated the investigation.
>> she acted decisively, appropriately, and i can't help but wonder if there had been more women as part of that detail, if this ever would have ever happened.
>> reporter: the scandal dominated this morning's talk shows, with senator joe lieberman echoing calls for a white house quirly.
>> the white house ought to be conducting its own internal investigation of white house personnel who were in cartagena.
>> from the moment this scandal broke, until now, there is no attempt to cover everything over. every possible lead is being examined.
>> reporter: representative peter king who said today the secret service would likely oust more personnel this week, sent a letter to the agency's director, requesting answers to 50 questions, among them, were any members of the executive office of the president involved in the alleged incident? and how many incidents pertaining to the solicitation of prostitutes have been referred to the agency over the last five years? other lawmakers voiced concern this may not be the first time.
>> obviously nobody believes that something with 11 or 12 people involved couldn't have happened before .
>> reporter: senior administration officials and the secret service insist there is no evidence implicating white house staff . and advisers say the president continues to stand behind the agency's director.
>> the president has confidence in director sullivan and the agency.
>> he should keep his job?
>> yes.
>> okay.
>> reporter: now, investigators say that 12 agents under scrutiny were staying at the same hotel as president obama , but they also stress that that alleged incident happened about a week before the president arrived. lester?
>> kristen welker at the white house tonight.