Breaking: US President, Biden appoints new Secret Service director

President Joe Biden named former career Secret Service official Kimberly Cheatle as the agency’s new director at time when the service faces intense scrutiny on multiple fronts.

Citing her 27 years with the agency including a stint as the first woman to oversee protective operations, Biden described Cheatle as “a distinguished law enforcement professional with exceptional leadership skills, and was easily the best choice to lead the agency at a critical moment for the Secret Service.”

”She has my complete trust, and I look forward to working with her,” Biden said, adding that Cheatle served on his protective detail when he was vice president.

Cheatle is the second woman to lead the elite agency charged with protecting the president, vice president, their families, top White House staffers and visiting world leaders. The agency also secures major national events, including the Super Bowl.

The new director succeeds the retiring James Murray. She takes office at a time when the agency’s performance has drawn the scrutiny of the special House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack, and the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general who has launched a criminal investigation into missing text messages sought as part of the Capitol attack inquiry.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas lauded Cheatle’s selection, saying she had “deep knowledge and understanding of the Agency’s missions to investigate and protect.”

“I am confident that her skillset, combined with her fresh perspective, will ensure the Secret Service builds on its strong foundation to grow and evolve into an even more effective agency,” Mayorkas said.

Cheatle returns to the agency from her current position as senior director at PepsiCo North America overseeing facilities, personnel and business continuity. She joined PepsiCo, after serving as the Secret Service’s assistant director for Protective Operations.