Home > The Secrecy File > Archives > 2008 > February > 25 > Entry
Secret Service inspector changed document
A U.S. Secret Service inspector who admitted destroying documents sought in a federal lawsuit alleging that the service discriminates against African American agents testified today that she altered at least one document.
Inspector Carrie Hunnicutt testified that she added information to a document containing responses from a high-ranking official about the extent that service agents searched for records related to the promotion of black agents.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson ordered the service to search for those documents on Dec. 21st.
Today’s hearing was the 8th hearing held by Robinson (pictured) to determine whether to sanction the service for failing to produce credible testimony and evidence in a case that was originally filed 8 years ago. This would be the fourth sanction issued by Robinson. The service is appealing all three of Robinson’s previous sanctions to the presiding judge on the case U.S. District Judge Richard W. Roberts.
“We have all been surprised by the testimony that original documents have been destroyed by deliberately placing the documents in a burn bag,” Robinson said.
The court and the counsel for Reginald Moore, an Atlanta native and lead plaintiff in the case, were not given the same documents that the service’s counsel had in its possession, Robinson said.
“This issue is taking on increasing importance,” Robinson said.
Marina Utgoff Braswell, an assistant U.S. attorney representing the service, said that she and the rest of her legal team did not know about the destruction of documents until last week’s testimony.
“I am always concerned about documents being destroyed even if they don’t pertain././.” Braswell said.
Robinson interrupted.
“But they do pertain,” Robinson said.
Under questioning by assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Johnson, Hunnicutt said that she destroyed the documents because she thought they were “non-responsive” to the request to search for records related to promoting African American agents.
Hunnicutt said she stored the information on a computer spread sheet program. She said that she carefully transferred information from the 50 surveys that she ultimately destroyed to new records because she had misnumbered the original survey forms.
“The information was retained,” Hunnicutt said.
But E. Desmond Hogan, one of the lawyers from Hogan & Hartson representing the black agents for free, argued the opposite.
The original information is lost forever, Hogan said. There is no way to idependently verify that what Hunnicutt originally wrote is actually the information she transferred to the new records, he said.
Just six out of the 50 original surveys still exist. Hunnicutt testified that she is not sure why they still exist or why they were placed in a binder containing all of the documents relevant to the search.
Hogan compared one of those six documents to the original and found that Hunnicutt had added information from one of the service offices.
When he asked Hunnicutt about it, she did not immediately reply.
A frustrated Hogan thundered, “You added information, Yes or No?”
Robinson ordered Hunnicutt to answer the question.
Hunnicutt said, “yes.”
“The evidence is crystal clear that there is no way for the court or plaintiffs to ever verify the accuracy of dozens of documents relevant to this hearing and the judge’s order because Inspector Hunnicutt admitted she destroyed the original documents and no copies were retained,” Hogan said.
“Inspector Hunnicutt’s admission that before destroying the original she altered the answer on at least one of the documents that ultimately was provided to the court raises serious concerns about the Secret Service’s motive in destroying these documents,” Hogan said.
But the service disputes the relevancy of those documents.
The service’s legal team presented testimony today from two senior agents today who testified that they searched for documents requested by Robinson. The testimony was intended to show that the service has conducted an in-depth effort to comply with Robinson’s order.
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