美国国家公共电台 NPR--Secret Service erased texts from two-day period spanning Jan. 6 attack, watchdog says

Secret Service erased¹ texts from two-day period spanning Jan. 6 attack, watchdog says

Transcript²

A watchdog says the U.S. Secret Service deleted many of the text messages sent during a two-day period surrounding the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

The inspector³ general for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees⁴ the agency, told Congress the messages were deleted after his office asked for them.

The discovery was made as part of the watchdog's investigation⁵ into the deadly siege last year and will likely play into the probe being led by the House select committee investigating the attack.

The news was first reported by The Intercept⁶.

"The Department notified us that many U.S. Secret Service (USSS) text messages from January 5 and 6, 2021, were erased as part of a device-replacement program," Inspector General Joseph Cuffari wrote to top members of congressional Homeland Security committees. "The USSS erased those messages after OIG requested records of electronic communications from the USSS, as part of our evaluation⁷ of the events at the Capitol on January 6."

Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service, disputed the IG's account.

"The insinuation that the Secret Service maliciously⁸ deleted text messages following a request is false," Guglielmi said in a statement. "In fact, the Secret Service has been fully⁹ cooperating with the OIG in every respect – whether it be interviews, documents, emails, or texts."

The spokesman said the agency had started to reset¹⁰ its mobile phones in January 2021 as part of a months-long migration¹¹ plan. The agency said messages were not requested until the following month. It also disputed any claims the agency hasn't cooperated fully with the watchdog's probe.

Guglielmi said the agency provided the IG with approximately 786,176 unredacted emails, and 7,678 team chat messages by Secret Service employees referencing conversations and operational details pertaining¹² to Jan. 6 and preparations leading up to it.

Testimony¹³ from a witness before the House select committee investigating the insurrection in June raised new questions about the Secret Service's role on the day of the deadly siege.

Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson said a physical altercation¹⁴ took place between then-President Trump¹⁵ and his Secret Service detail as he fought to get to the Capitol after telling a crowd at a rally he addressed to march on Congress.

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Hutchinson, who was top aide to then-Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, said in the June 28 hearing that Trump's lead Secret Service agent Bobby Engel attempted to stop Trump as he tried to join his supporters marching to the Capitol.

"The president reached up toward the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering¹⁶ wheel. Mr. Engel grabbed his arm, said, 'Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel. We're going back to the West Wing. We're not going to the Capitol,'" Hutchinson testified. "Mr. Trump then used his free hand to lunge toward Bobby Engel."

Secret Service sources have reportedly disputed some of Hutchinson's testimony, but none have testified to that under oath.

That account sparked discussion about additional evidence of interest to the committee. The text messages might have been able to clear up questions related to Hutchinson's testimony.

Hutchinson also detailed¹⁷ in that public hearing that the Secret Service was aware that rioters were armed at Trump's rally at the Ellipse. That could signal a lack of communication with other law enforcement agencies who were unprepared for the riot.

In his letter to the Senate and House Homeland Security committees, Cuffari offered to brief members on the new developments around the text messages.

The chairman of the Senate committee, Sen. Gary Peters, said he'll meet with Cuffari personally.

"We need to get to the bottom of whether the Secret Service destroyed federal records or the Department of Homeland Security obstructed¹⁸ oversight¹⁹," Peters, D-Mich., said in a statement. "The DHS Inspector General needs these records to do its independent oversight and the public deserves to have a full picture of what occurred on January 6th."

A spokesman for the House Homeland Security panel said it also expects to meet with Cuffari.

The chairman of that committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., also heads up the Jan. 6 panel, likely ramping²⁰ up its investigation into the new evidence.

1 erased   

v.擦掉( erase的过去式和过去分词 )；抹去；清除

参考例句：

• He erased the wrong answer and wrote in the right one. 他擦去了错误答案，写上了正确答案。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He removed the dogmatism from politics; he erased the party line. 他根除了政治中的教条主义，消除了政党界限。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

4 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

6 intercept   

vt.拦截，截住，截击

参考例句：

• His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service.他的信被特工处截获了。
• Gunmen intercepted him on his way to the airport.持枪歹徒在他去机场的路上截击了他。

7 evaluation   

n.估价，评价；赋值

参考例句：

• I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
• The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。

8 maliciously   

adv.有敌意地

参考例句：

• He was charged with maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm. 他被控蓄意严重伤害他人身体。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His enemies maliciously conspired to ruin him. 他的敌人恶毒地密谋搞垮他。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

10 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。

11 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

12 pertaining   

与…有关系的，附属…的，为…固有的(to)

参考例句：

• Living conditions are vastly different from those pertaining in their country of origin. 生活条件与他们祖国大不相同。
• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school. 视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。

13 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

14 altercation   

n.争吵，争论

参考例句：

• Throughout the entire altercation,not one sensible word was uttered.争了半天，没有一句话是切合实际的。
• The boys had an altercation over the umpire's decision.男孩子们对裁判的判决颇有争议。

15 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

16 steering   

n.操舵装置

参考例句：

• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
• Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。

17 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

18 obstructed   

阻塞( obstruct的过去式和过去分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止

参考例句：

• Tall trees obstructed his view of the road. 有大树挡着，他看不到道路。
• The Irish and Bristol Channels were closed or grievously obstructed. 爱尔兰海峡和布里斯托尔海峡或遭受封锁，或受到了严重阻碍。

19 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

20 ramping   

土堤斜坡( ramp的现在分词 )； 斜道； 斜路； （装车或上下飞机的）活动梯

参考例句：

• The children love ramping about in the garden. 孩子们喜欢在花园里追逐嬉戏，闹着玩。
• Have you ever seen a lion ramping around? 你看到过狮子暴跳吗？