The Secret Service has reportedly apologized to the owner of a Massachusetts salon after security guards on duty for an event featuring Vice President Harris broke into her business to use the restroom.
The incident occurred at Alicia Powers’ business, Four One Three Salon, which is located near the Colonial Theater, the venue for Harris’ fundraiser. Secret Service members and others picked the lock on the closed beauty salon during Harris’ event to use the restroom, Powers said, Business Insider reported.
According to Ms. Powers, on July 27, people associated with security personnel for the vice president’s event entered her salon without permission. Surveillance footage showed the presence of people, including some in emergency uniforms and police clothing, using the restrooms after a Secret Service officer allegedly covered an external security camera with tape.
The Secret Service initially denied that its agents were involved in the incident. Spokeswoman Melissa McKenzie stressed that the intelligence community considered respect for local business relationships a top priority. “Our personnel would not enter a business or instruct our partners to enter one without the owner’s permission,” Ms. McKenzie said.
After reports of the incident began to circulate, the head of the Secret Service’s Boston field office called Ms. Powers to apologize and acknowledge procedural errors. “He told me everything that was done was done completely wrong,” she told Business Insider.
“They were not allowed to film my camera without permission. They were not allowed to enter the building without permission,” Ms. Powers said.
“And then when they finished using the bathroom after two hours, they left and left my building completely unlocked and didn’t take the tape off the camera,” she said.
