Topline
Secret Service official Tony Ornato retired from the agency Monday, months after he was named as the source of explosive—and later disputed—details about former President Donald Trump’s behavior ahead of the Capitol riot.
President Donald Trump speaks to supporters from The Ellipse near the White House on January 6, … [+]
Key Facts
Ornato, who most recently worked as a Secret Service assistant director and the head of its training division, is leaving the agency in good standing after roughly 25 years, agency spokesperson Kevin Helgert told Forbes.
He became eligible to retire over the summer, CNN reports.
Ornato began working as a Secret Service agent in 1997 and served in the presidential protective division, but he briefly left the Secret Service to work as the Trump White House’s deputy chief of staff—an unusual move—before later returning to the agency.
Key Background
Ornato became well-known in late June, when former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified to the House January 6 committee that an irate Trump grabbed his vehicle’s steering wheel and lunged for a Secret Service agent’s throat after he was prevented from going to the Capitol on January 6—a story Hutchinson said was recounted to her by Ornato. Trump denied the account, and multiple news outlets reported Ornato was also prepared to deny the story in testimony to the committee, but it’s not clear whether he’ll refute it to lawmakers. Ornato previously met with the January 6 committee earlier this year.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2022/08/29/secret-service-official-tony-ornato-leaves-post-amid-questions-about-trumps-jan-6-behavior/