The US Secret Service has refuted claims of a “security lapse” in former President Barack Obama‘s protective detail during an event in Los Angeles last weekend, labelling the reports as “inaccurate,” according to Newsweek.
TMZ had initially reported that a security guard working at an event near a restaurant Obama was attending on Saturday evening claimed he was able to approach the SUV transporting the former president without interference from Secret Service agents.
The guard, who remained anonymous, told TMZ that two agents were standing away from the vehicle in an alleyway, and he saw Obama inside the SUV using a laptop. He further mentioned that he was armed at the time and quickly backed away once he recognized the former president, describing the incident as a “security lapse.”
However, in a statement to Newsweek on Wednesday, a Secret Service spokesperson disputed the guard’s account. “At no time were any Secret Service protectees in the vehicle while the individual was walking down the alleyway,” the spokesperson said, adding that the photo shared by TMZ was taken during Obama’s departure and not at the time of the alleged incident.
The security guard also claimed that Secret Service agents later approached him to check his credentials and concealed weapon permit, though Newsweek has not independently confirmed this interaction.
The report of a possible security breach comes as the Secret Service faces growing scrutiny over its protocols, following an assassination attempt at former President Donald Trump‘s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July, where Trump’s ear was grazed, and one attendee was killed.
In a separate development, the Secret Service confirmed it is investigating allegations that an active-duty agent sexually assaulted a member of Vice President Kamala Harris‘ staff during a recent trip to Green Bay, Wisconsin.
As the Secret Service continues to face high-profile challenges, the agency maintains that the security around former US President Obama in Los Angeles was intact and that reports of a breach are unfounded.