Vice President JD Vance is changing up his Secret Service detail after one of his agents was caught spilling sensitive security information with a Tinder date who turned out to be an undercover reporter.
The agent, Tomas Escotto, was placed on administrative leave on Wednesday after a 14-minute undercover video published by reporter James O’Keefe showed the agent casually divulging details about the Vice President’s travel plans and internal shift operations.
O’Keefe said the woman Escotto met through the dating app Tinder in October was working undercover for O’Keefe Media Group. Over the course of their interactions, Escotto allegedly shared information that the Secret Service explicitly bars agents from disclosing—including details about how many agents are assigned to protect the vice president and how they position themselves during travel.
In text messages shared in the report, Escotto appeared to acknowledge that he knew his conduct crossed a line. “I sign[ed] paperwork,” he wrote, candidly telling the reporter, “if i don’t have to give out information, I never do, otherwise I get in trouble.”
Despite that awareness, Escotto continued to message sensitive information. In a Dec. 26 text exchange, he allegedly told his date that Vance would be traveling to Ohio for a few days before heading to Florida the following weekend.
He also sent photographs from inside secure locations—including images taken aboard Air Force Two—along with messages indicating when the vice president would be landing.
One of the most serious breaches involved a photo Escotto sent of the vice president’s motorcade during an overseas trip, including an image showing President Donald Trump’s convoy at Emirates Palace during a visit with United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Multiple images Escotto shared also contained location metadata, including one showing the exact location of the presidential helicopter at JFK Airport.
Those actions appear to directly violate the Secret Service’s code of conduct, which states that employees may not divulge classified or sensitive information related to protective operations.
Following the release of the video, U.S. Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn told The Daily Beast that Escotto’s security clearance had been revoked and that he had been suspended from access to secure facilities and systems pending an internal investigation.
“The U.S. Secret Service has no tolerance for any behavior that could potentially compromise the safety, privacy, or trust of our protectees,” Quinn said in a statement. He added that Escotto had been placed on administrative leave and that all personnel will be required to retake the mandatory anti-espionage training.
The video also showed Escotto expressing personal political opinions that went well beyond professional boundaries. Escotto, who worked as a Secret Service agent for former Vice President Kamala Harris, told the undercover reporter that he voted for Joe Biden and voiced hostility toward the current administration’s immigration enforcement tactics.
“I hate that sh-t,” he said, referring to ICE raids under President Trump. “I don’t understand why they’re covering their face,” he added, saying he did not agree with the tactics being deployed by the agency.
Escotto also complained about assignments involving the vice president’s children, telling the reporter that agents “go to school with them” and “follow them everywhere.” He joked that he felt more like a “babysitter,” adding that agents sometimes ask, “What the f— is this?”
In another exchange shown in the video, Escotto texted the reporter updates on his movements—including going from the West Wing to pick up the vice president’s wife at a location redacted by O’Keefe to avoid further security risks. Escotto ended the revealing message with a laughing emoji.
Quinn apologized directly to the Vance family in a statement, calling the incident a “violation of their trust and privacy.”
“The faith our protectees place in this agency is not something the U.S. Secret Service takes lightly,” Quinn said. “We are committed to taking the necessary actions to ensure that a similar breach does not occur again.”
The lapse comes at a time already sensitive for the vice president’s security. Earlier this month, a 26-year-old man was arrested after smashing a window at Vance’s Ohio home.
