COLUMN: John L. Smith

Accusations, rumors put two Secret Service careers on line

As federal law enforcement careers went, Joseph Saitta and Carter Kim ranked among the best in their business.

Saitta was the special agent in charge of the Las Vegas office of the Secret Service. Kim was his assistant.

So, when rumors started swirling several weeks ago that Saitta and Kim had been relieved of their duties and quietly removed by federal investigators out of Washington, many who have known them found the reports difficult to believe.

Quite simply, Saitta was considered a consummate professional who combined a knowledge of his job with the people skills it took to survive in the federal law enforcement community. Although less experienced and well known, Kim sported an impressive resume.

Until recently, both men served their government with distinction, Saitta for 32 years and Kim for 18. They were veteran supervisors.

Then came the issue that threatens to tar their careers and besmirch the reputation of the Secret Service at a volatile time.

According to an article in this week's edition of U.S. News & World Report, problems at the local Secret Service office began to surface last year in connection with the supervision of the evidence vault. Kim, 43, alleges he discovered the irregularities, which ranged from missing counterfeit money and laptop computers to missing telephone encryption equipment, and reported them to Saitta. Their dilemma grew worse after a federal audit of the office was called, and Kim alleges in an Equal Employment Opportunity lawsuit that Saitta attempted to doctor evidence records, obfuscate issues, and find substitutes for the missing equipment. The Korean-American, who also alleges racial discrimination, finds himself under investigation for what role he might have played in the evidence vault debacle.

Not only did counterfeit cash turn up missing, along with visual aids used by agents whenever they conducted seminars on counterfeiting, but Kim has sworn Saitta instructed a government employee to report the missing material destroyed, according to the article.

Those who know Saitta find themselves at a loss. It's simply difficult to believe that a man they considered so professional would be involved in obstructing an investigation.

But throughout law enforcement, evidence lockers are notorious quagmires. No single accounting or security practice ever is entirely foolproof. From our local Metro to the FBI, scandals of myriad shapes and sizes have resulted from a lack of consistent supervision, inconsistent audits, and outright thievery.

Sloppy record keeping? Missing evidence? Racial discrimination?

It's not the sort of behavior condoned by the federal agency charged with, among other duties, protecting the president of the United States and supervising the security at the Olympics and the Super Bowl. It's also why Saitta, 55, who retired with full benefits earlier this year, is forced to fight these charges with all he's got.

Now that Kim has made his devastating accusations, he, too, must do all he can to prevail. Unlike Saitta, Kim wasn't near the end of his career.

Beyond their good names, the credibility of the local office is at stake.

Contacted by me last month, Saitta downplayed those rumors and said his predicament was based on administrative issues and personality conflicts. He said he had planned to retire anyway. After more than three decades on the job, Saitta said he had earned it.

On Monday afternoon, Saitta said he was unaware of the EEO allegations until just prior to the story's publication.

"I don't even know the official allegations yet," he said. "All I know is what's in this article."

But did he conduct a cover-up?

"A cover-up? No," Saitta said.

In the brief interview, he spoke with pride about his 32-year Secret Service career, which included time on the Ronald Reagan presidential detail and more than 11 years in the Las Vegas office.

After 18 years, Kim has his own list of career credentials. He told the U.S. News, "I never ever thought my career would end like this."

I'll bet that's something Carter Kim still has in common with Joseph Saitta.

John L. Smith's column appears Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. E-mail him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 383-0295.

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