Secret Service text messages exchanged during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and from the day before were deleted after a federal investigator requested the records.
Pro- Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol. The photo was taken by Samuel Corum.
After the inspector general requested the records as part of its review of the January 6 riot, the texts were erased as part of a device-replacement program.
In his letter to the House and Senate Homeland Security committees, the DHS Inspector General didn't say if he believed the erasure was intentional.
DHS officials repeatedly told Cuffari's office they couldn't turn over the records until they were reviewed.
Forbes requested comment from the Secret Service.
The story was reported by the Intercept.
The chairman of the January 6 committee said that the committee would be briefed about the destruction of records.
Significant scrutiny has been given to the actions of the Secret Service agents on January 6. Greg Jacob, who served as general counsel for former Vice President Mike Pence, testified last month that the Secret Service wanted to whisk him away from the Capitol during the riot, but he wouldn't go with them because it would prevent him from certifying the election results. Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified at a June 28 hearing that Donald Trump lunged at the head of his Secret Service detail when he was told he wasn't going to the Capitol. The Secret Service denied the account.
The Secret Service deleted text messages after officials requested them.
Ex-Aide Says Trump Grabbed Limo Steering Wheel, Lunged At Security Chief, and Raged At Not Being Taken to Capitol.
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