Newly released documents reveal Secret Service agents faced obstacles rescuing Obama’s chef
Secret Service Agents Ran Into Problem When Trying to Rescue Obama’s Chef, Just-Released Documents Show
Judicial Watch received 31 pages of newly released material regarding the July 23 death of former Obama chef Tafari Campbell, the organization said in a news release Tuesday.
The records revealed that both boats operated by the U.S. Secret Service at the site that evening failed to function properly, forcing agents to borrow a boat from the groundskeeper.
“[Supervisory Special Agent] [redacted] attempted to start one of the boats but had difficulty lowering the motor,” an emailed memo stated.
“I sprinted to the [command post], grabbed the keys and spring back toward the boats,” it continued.
However, the other boat operated by the Secret Service also experienced issues and did not function as intended.
“A similar issue occurred with the motor on the second boat,” the email stated. “We jumped into a third boat belonging to the groundskeeper and it worked without issue.”
The sole witness to Campbell’s drowning had previously stated that it was too late to save him, suggesting that the malfunctioning boats may not have made a difference. However, it is possible that the delays caused by the equipment failures could have cost Campbell his life.
One would expect the elite organization responsible for the safety and security of the nation’s leaders to ensure that their equipment functions properly. The fact that neither of the Secret Service boats were operational raises concerns about their preparedness in emergency situations.
The newly released records, authored by a Secret Service agent whose name was redacted, also revealed for the first time that Campbell’s paddleboarding partner was identified as “Ms. Taylor.”
Judicial Watch, a conservative and non-partisan educational foundation dedicated to promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity in government, filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain these records.
“It is disturbing that Secret Service boats did not work for this emergency situation,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “This new information perhaps explains why the Secret Service is still hiding video related to the tragic drowning.”
Previous records obtained by Judicial Watch indicated that no foul play was detected during the investigation into Campbell’s death, which was ultimately ruled as an accident. Campbell was not wearing a life vest and was not tethered to his paddleboard at the time of the incident.
The post Secret Service Agents Ran Into Problem When Trying to Rescue Obama’s Chef, Just-Released Documents Show appeared first on The Western Journal.