WASHINGTON — Secret Service Director Julia Pierson says even 11 days after an Army veteran jumped the fence and burst into the White House, she still hasn’t concluded why officers and agents failed to follow security rules.
Testifying on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Pierson acknowledged, “mistakes were made.” Pierson said she hopes to find out why during the course of her investigation. It was unclear what has been discovered so far.
Democratic Congressman Matt Cartwright from Pennsylvania said Secret Service surveillance teams didn’t spot Omar J. Gonzalez in enough time to provide a warning. He said the officer in the guard booth did not respond, and a dog trained to intercept intruders was not released. And no officer was standing at the White House front door.
