The Secret Service has issued an apology after agents broke into a Massachusetts salon without permission to allow the public to use the building’s bathroom during a fundraiser for Vice President Kamala Harris. The agents reportedly picked the lock to the salon’s front door and taped over security cameras before permitting people to use the restroom for nearly two hours. When they left, the agents failed to secure the building, leaving it unlocked.
Alicia Powers, the salon owner, explained that while she was aware her salon needed to close for security reasons due to the fundraiser, she had not been informed that her property would be used in this manner. Powers recounted how the agents entered without prior notice and used duct tape to cover her security cameras. For the next hour and a half, several individuals entered the salon to use the bathroom, setting off alarms and leaving the premises unsecured after they were done.
The Secret Service’s Boston office later reached out to Powers to apologize. A representative from the office acknowledged that the actions of the agents were improper. “He said to me everything that was done was done very wrong,” Powers stated. The representative admitted that the agents were not authorized to tape over her cameras or enter the building without permission.
Brian Smith, the landlord of the building, corroborated Powers’ account, stating that no one had given the Secret Service permission to access the property. The agency emphasized that such actions are not standard procedure and expressed regret for the incident, reiterating their commitment to maintaining positive relationships with the business community.
