Julia Pierson, who
resigned Wednesday as director of the troubled Secret Service agency, didn't have the confidence of rank-and-file agents and led an agency with a culture of cover-up, CNN reports.
A report on
"The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer," cites a source in the Secret Service who said, "Management is a huge problem."
Many agents and officers don't want to report security lapses and other problems for fear of retribution within the agency, CNN reports.
One example was a November 2011 shooting incident in which seven shots hit the White House, but it went unreported for four days until a housekeeper discovered broken glass.
A young agent reported hearing debris falling just after the shots were heard, but "for fear of being criticized," she reportedly declined to contradict her bosses, who had determined there had been no shooting.
Ron Kessler, author of "The First Family Detail," told CNN that agents are punished for pointing out deficiencies or even potential threats, while agents are given promotions if they keep quiet.
A Secret Service official told CNN the charges are not true.
And Ralph Basham, who headed the agency from 2003 to 2006, said the problem did not exist during his time as director.
CNN also pointed out that a
survey last year of "The Best Places to Work" in the federal government ranked the Secret Service 226 out of 300 agencies ranked. The highest sub-ranking the agency received was for pay, where it came in 131st.
An inspector general's report also
pointed to a study that found only 55.8 percent of Secret Service employees felt they "can report a suspected violation of any law, rule, regulation, or standards of conduct without fear of retaliation."
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