Secret Service under pressure over erased texts and Jan. 6 actions

Revelation of erased Secret Service text messages from Jan. 5 and 6 is putting the Secret Service in hot water, renewing questions about how forthcoming it has been in investigations into the Capitol attack, as well as the actions and motivations of agents.

The spat came to light after the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General notified lawmakers that it was unable to obtain “many” of the messages on those days due to a “device-replacement program.”

The episode has raised questions about the intent of the agency, with the government watchdog alleging they have long struggled to get information from the Secret Service, while others argue at a minimum the erasure appears to violate laws on retaining records.