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Secret Service Agent Kills Self Amid Affair Probe

Nov. 2, 2012 12:48am Scott Baker

WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior Secret Service agent who was being investigated by the government for failing to disclose a long-standing relationship with a foreign citizen killed himself last week in Washington, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

Rafael Prieto, a married father assigned to the security detail for President Barack Obama, had acknowledged to U.S. investigators that he had been having an affair for years with a woman from Mexico, these people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss Prieto’s death or the investigation. Prieto’s relationship was revealed to Secret Service investigators by an agent who had been entangled in the Colombian prostitution scandal earlier this year, these people say. That agent was concerned that the Secret Service wasn’t enforcing its rules consistently.

Secret Service rules require that employees with a security clearance notify the agency about any relationship with a foreign citizen to ensure that the person is not a risk to national security. There is no evidence that Prieto’s relationship posed any security threat. Failing to disclose such a relationship would be a violation of the agency’s administrative rules, not a crime.

Prieto was serving on the protective detail for Obama, though he was not on duty at the time of his suicide. As recently as 2009, he was identified as the resident agent in charge at the Secret Service’s office in White Plains, N.Y. He had worked for the Secret Service for 22 years. He was 47, according to public records.

Prieto’s apparent cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning. He was found in his car with the engine running. His death was being investigated by Metropolitan Police in Washington and the medical examiner’s office.

“Rafael Prieto had a distinguished 20-year career with the Secret Service that was marked by accomplishment, dedication and friendships,” agency spokesman Edwin Donovan said in a statement. “The Secret Service is mourning the loss of a valued colleague.”

The Secret Service protects the lives of the president, vice president and their families, and also investigates counterfeiting, bank fraud, computer hacking and other financial crimes.

The behavior of Secret Service agents and officers has come under scrutiny since 13 employees were implicated in a prostitution scandal in Cartagena, Colombia, in April.

Those employees were in Caribbean resort city in advance of Obama’s arrival for a South American summit. After a night of heavy partying in some of Cartagena’s bars and clubs, the employees brought women, including prostitutes, back to the where they were staying. The incident became public after one agent refused to pay a prostitute and argued with her in the hotel hallway. Prieto was never in Colombia during the scandal.

Eight of those Secret Service employees have been forced out of the agency, three were cleared of serious misconduct and at least two employees are fighting to get their jobs back.

The scandal prompted Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan to issue a new code of conduct that barred employees from drinking within 10 hours of the start of a shift or bringing foreigners to their hotel rooms.

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Comments (34)

Airborne1966
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 12:25pm
It’s shame this guy snuffed himself, now the ones who suffer is his family.

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Frederick_Douglass_Republican
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 9:24am
Vince Foster was going to rat out Hillary. Then his body was discovered in a contrived suicide scene at Fort Marcy park. His brief case was searched for clues but it was empty. Then investigators were prohibited by Hillary’s staff from entering his office for a period of time. When they were finally allowed in they found a torn up “suicide” note in the previously empty brief case. The “suicide” note mentioned nothing of suicide and didn’t even resemble a suicide note.

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- Max jones
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 11:33am
  It seems that nearly all of the lefty’s scandals and shortcomings have sexual overtones….either same sex or some kind of adultery is, somehow, always causative, or at the very least symptomatic. From this poor soul to the clintons and anthony weiner. Just can’t keep their pants zipped. They call it ‘love’. but it always come down to “just another reason to lie”.
  Systemic chronic immorality.
  
  Report this comment
- Max jones
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 11:39am
  After reading down the page….I will add to my previous post……”And it looks like they use this immorality against one another if they see a need.”
  
  Report this comment
piper60
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 7:54am
“Why does someone always have to die”.

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- Max jones
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 11:35am
  Everybody dies. What is important is what you live for and WOULD die for.
  
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SaturdaysWarrior76
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 7:47am
“He was found in his car with the engine running” ….

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hempstead1944
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 6:44am
Sure he did…….

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- johnjamison
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 7:32am
  Exactly…sure he did
  This stinks to high heaven of assassination to protect other officals
  
  Report this comment
- blanco5
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 7:43am
  Yeah, I’m buyiing it…….
  
  Report this comment
grimmster
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 6:13am
Dead men tell no tales…..

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revelation2012
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 5:59am
soros monitors our progress – seems he was disappointed with ‘bush’ thought him a ‘redneck’

time will tell the tale about his feelings about O

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- Max jones
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 12:28pm
  I’m sure there are many regrets, even from Soros….Barack is so childishly petulant and immature that he is losing grip. Embarrassingly, so. If the globalist elite thought they could, still, rely on him, he would not have been allowed to get into this much trouble. They will have to regroup, and work their subversion from without, if Romney is elected, but I am sure they have contingency plans.
  Firstly. look for the unions to start causing trouble. It will come as a unified “power play”.
  Then, of course, will come “Old Racist Reverend, Dr. Angry N. Black DD. He will stir things up a bit: it could make the L.A. riots look like a family cook out.
  Surprisingly, the Illegal alien population doesn’t look to be a problem….they still just want honest work.
  The muslim threat oversees will begin to look like bluster, except where Israel is concerned, so look for war there before hussein leaves office. There is already BIG conflict in congress over the condition of our alliance with Israel.
  
  Report this comment
Detroit paperboy
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 5:37am
Dead men tell no secrets……………………

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sndrman
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 5:15am
when you are corrupt(like the present administration)you surround yourself with like minded people…….look at all the “bad” things that have happened in the last 4 years………….i mean i feel bad for this agents family,the secret service has never been like this or were not told of it if they were doing it.

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- smallcraftadvisory
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 5:30am
  Was it a suicide or was it a Clinton-related suicide like the dozen of people connected to Clinton administration scandals that killed themselves. Read http://smallcraftadvisorychronicles.blogspot.com/ for fresh political commentary.
  
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- burnteye86
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 7:22am
  In one Tom Clancy book, a treasonous Admiral ( I think it was an Admiral, it’s been a long time since I read it) was given the choice to off himself or be helped along. He chose to dart into traffic.
  
  Report this comment
- vaman
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 9:25am
  Conspiracy theorists are ridiculous. Assassinated? Are you crazy? How many people have taken their own lives for far less. The guy probably lost his wife and family and a job that is recognized as one of the most respected and revered on earth. His name was in every news outlet globally during the South America investigation. That would be enough stress to make many men do something horrible like this.
  
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- Max jones
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 12:00pm
  VAMAN….I really am a rabid “conspracy NUT”, so you (and most folks) probably won’t take any thing I say as credible, but, that’s OK. I understand. Some times my own prognostications seem incredible, even to me. How I work it is this: When it comes to this administration it is “WWSD”-What Would Satan DO? I then take the subject and apply the idea, if I was the devil and was working real hard to establish my empire on the earth, how far do I dare go, in any particular situation to protect the progress I’ve made, so far, and how much can I risk , doing what I need to, now. Being Satan I have a lot of assets to work with…tons of money, the media, and all those I have marked so far. This is great sport, and integrates nicely with my studies in biblical prophecy, and world history. I’m keeping score, and so far prophecy is way ahead of the curve.
  
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justthefactsmac
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 2:51am
P U!!! I sure smell a rat here! Isn’t it amazing how “Rafael Prieto had a distinguished 20-year career with the Secret Service that was marked by accomplishment, dedication and friendships,” and yet, would now wants to KILL himself! I think NOT! The timing of this “murder” is very suspicious to me, and should be to ALL who are involved in investigating it. Rafael just so happened to be Obama’s security detail. Which means, in lieu of this Benghazi stuff, he might have seen and/or heard something that he had to be shut up over! This man will not be the FIRST to die by the secretive handiwork of dangerous CIA/Muslim Brotherhood/President Obama! Beware those who get too close to B.O! I pray the TRUTH comes out! But, probably won’t. Like all the other things he has gotten by with. Scary times we live in.

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- chips1
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 4:28am
  Obama’s death disease seems to be spreading faster than AIDS. Sounds about right.
  
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- revelation2012
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 5:36am
  and to think that he has the CODES and KEY to our nuclear
  
  geesus we have to endure this til 21st of Jan
  
  GOD be with us
  
  Report this comment
calmandcents
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 2:44am
Am I mistaken or didn’t the White House originally lie and say that WH Staffers were not involved in the prostitution scandal in Cartagena, Colombia. But that was eventually found to be NOT true. Well if the WH Staff were involved perhaps Agent Prieto knew too much. Damn, another Obama-related death coincidence just before the election. Really? Suicide?

The most dangerous place in the world is working for this administration — particularly for those who don’t much matter. Shameful

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- razhunter100
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 4:16am
  hmmm…death not a big thing with you…
  
  sorry, just got a give away from your preach
  
  Report this comment
justthefactsmac
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 2:44am
P U!!! I sure smell a rat here! Isn’t it amazing how “Rafael Prieto had a distinguished 20-year career with the Secret Service that was marked by accomplishment, dedication and friendships,” and yet, now wants to KILL himself! I think NOT! The timing of this “murder” is very suspicious to me, and should be to ALL who are involved in investigating it. Rafael just so happened to be Obama’s security detail. Which means, in lieu of this Benghazi stuff, he might have seen and/or heard something that he had to be shut up over! This man will not be the FIRST to die by the secretive handiwork of dangerous CIA/Muslim Brotherhood/President Obama! Beware those who get too close to B.O! I pray the TRUTH comes out! But, probably won’t. Like all the other things he has gotten by with. Scary times we live in.

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CatB
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 2:31am
I’m sorry .. for his family .. but I remember when Secret Service was the best of the best. I have a cousin who was Secret Service as an Advance Agent to the President and he was and is an honorable man. After he retired from that service he worked for Billy Graham in charge of the security for his events.

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- holy ghostbuster
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 9:04am
  So much for honorable, working for the con man, Billy Graham.
  
  Report this comment
- Do The Right Thing
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 10:24pm
  Hey holyghost, I used to know a guy named Ed Head. You related? I’d guess you’re his brother Dick.
  
  Report this comment
calmandcents
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 2:24am
I am deeply saddened by the news of the loss of Secret Service Agent Rafael Prieto. I can only imagine how difficult it is to perform one’s duties within this administration.

Given the life-death record of the Obama administration, I feel there is far more to this story than as conveyed by AP. That is, there have been so many un-accountable deaths by the DOJ, Homeland Security, State Department, not to mention, the Department of Defense, that I — for one — have a very tough time not believing that there is probably some Obama-related cowardice behind this tragic event. (What did Agent Prieto know that resulted in his death?)

Am I the only one who upon hearing some tragic news immediately suspects additional WH crimes against America and Americans? His self-prophesied “radical transformation of America”, deaths and cover up by the DOJ, deaths of Americans in some stupid Libyan fiasco, completely evil and slanderous trash by the MSM and WH staff, complete dishonest and unethical campaign, and complete and total incompetence as an American President.

If he is re-elected, I smell war. God help him and them! I pray that I live long enough for the history books to be righted by this cancer.

At the very least, ABSOLUTELY NO PARDONS FOR ANYONE COMMITTING CRIMES AGAINST AMERICA OR AMERICANS. NONE — NOT ANY.

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- revelation2012
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 5:42am
  I understand where you’re coming from
  
  Fast and Furious and southern border
  
  I wonder if more than drug cartels are being armed (radical islamists)
  
  ‘he’ mentioned something about private force ,,,,,,
  
  Report this comment
- revelation2012
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 5:45am
  stevens was over there to secure or disburse arms to radical muslim brotherhood
  
  how’d that work out for him,,,,,
  
  Report this comment
Diane TX
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 2:20am
Was there something more? An affair can destroy a marriage, but hardly worth killing yourself over. Prostitutes aren’t usually a threat to National Security. I think there’s something more. Drug trafficking?

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- CatB
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 2:42am
  It leaves them open to blackmail .. that is the main reason .. oh and they could leak security info .. not a good thing. Makes one wonder though .. did he know something .. that someone didn’t want revealed also.
  
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Jenasus
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 2:15am
Silence is golden, If you are dead what you knew is suppressed.

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