By Colleen McCain Nelson
President Barack Obama on Wednesday named Joseph Clancy to lead
the Secret Service, elevating the agency's interim chief to become
its permanent director as the organization continues to grapple
with the fallout from a series of high-profile security breaches
and missteps.
While a panel of outside experts had recommended looking beyond
the Secret Service's ranks for new leadership, the president chose
a trusted insider in Mr. Clancy, who led the division that protects
Mr. Obama during the first two years of the president's tenure.
Mr. Clancy has served as interim director since October, when
then-director Julia Pierson resigned under pressure. Mr. Clancy is
a 27-year veteran of the Secret Service. After retiring from the
Secret Service in 2011, Mr. Clancy worked as chief of security at
Comcast Corp.
He was considered for the organization's top job in 2013 before
pulling his name from consideration, according to a person familiar
with the matter.
Mr. Obama called Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson
Wednesday morning to inform him of the decision before calling Mr.
Clancy.
"Joe has done an outstanding job leading the Secret Service
since he returned at my request in October of last year," the
president said in a statement. "He understands the challenges
facing the agency and has proven that he's not afraid to make the
tough decisions necessary to build and maintain the Agency's
ability to carry out its mission."
Mr. Clancy returned to the agency last year amid the tumult that
engulfed the Secret Service after a series of embarrassing
stumbles, including a September incident in which a man climbed
over the White House fence, knocked back a Secret Service agent and
managed to run into the White House before being subdued.
Mr. Clancy will take permanent control of an agency facing a
level of scrutiny that it hasn't seen in decades. Lawmakers are
questioning whether the organization is capable of handling its two
missions: protection of dignitaries and fighting financial
crime.
Secret Service officials have said both duties are crucial and
have pushed hard in recent years for a larger role for the agency
in investigating cyberbreaches that expose payment information. But
at a hearing last week, House members of both parties suggested
they could try to steer some of the Secret Service's investigative
work to another agency.
In December, a panel appointed by Mr. Johnson reviewed the
agency and found an "organization starved for leadership." The
experts who examined the agency concluded the Secret Service needed
an outsider to lead an organization that it said had become too
insular and stretched beyond its limits.
In December, Mr. Johnson praised the panel's
recommendations.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Wednesday that Mr.
Clancy's appointment hadn't been a foregone conclusion but that his
solid performance during the past few months had served him
well.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R., Utah)
said he was disappointed by Mr. Obama's decision not to heed the
panel's recommendation and hire from outside the agency.
"The good men and women of the Secret Service are screaming for
a fresh start," he said in a news release. "At this moment in time,
the Secret Service would best be served by a transformative and
dynamic leader from outside the agency."
Still, Mr. Chaffetz said he appreciates the steps Mr. Clancy has
taken so far to improve the Secret Service.
Joe Hagin, who served on the panel of outside experts that
evaluated the Secret Service, praised the president's decision
Wednesday, saying in an interview that Mr. Clancy is a leader who
would improve morale in the agency and who would be willing to make
the tough decisions necessary to address deep-seated problems.
"He is just an outstanding professional," said Mr. Hagin, a
former White House deputy chief of staff for operations who worked
for the last three Republican presidents. "The key element here is
that the president and his family have to be comfortable with the
person running the Secret Service. There's clearly a close
relationship between the president and Joe."
While the panel had urged the administration to break with the
tradition of entrusting insiders with leading the Secret Service,
Mr. Hagin highlighted Mr. Clancy's time at Comcast, saying his time
in the corporate world had provided a different perspective.
Mr. Clancy's interim appointment last fall was cheered by
law-enforcement organizations, as well as by White House officials,
who noted that he had the trust of the president and first
lady.
"Joe has earned the respect and admiration of the men and women
of the Secret Service, and as someone who spent years protecting my
family, he's certainly earned mine," Mr. Obama said in his
statement Wednesday.
As acting director, Mr. Clancy conducted an assessment to
determine the cause of recent missteps. He directed White House
ground personnel to undergo additional training, and he pushed for
additional funding for training and equipping the staff.
The White House has requested an 18% increase in the Secret
Service budget with plans to spend more funds on enhanced security
at the White House.
Write to Colleen McCain Nelson at colleen.nelson@wsj.com
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