The Hotel Caribe in Cartagena. The woman told the New York Times she would not speak to US investigators. Photograph: Reuters
Three secret service agents involved in the allegations of misconduct involving prostitutes ahead of President Barack Obama's visit toColombia have left the agency.
Two were supervisors, according to the Associated Press – one who was allowed to retire, and another who was "removed for cause". He has 30 days to appeal, and CNN reported on Wednesday that he plans to sue. The third agent, who who was not a surpervisor, resigned, AP reported.
Eight agents remain under investigation, as do at least 10 US military personnel who were staying at the same hotel. They are reported to include five members of the special forces unit the green berets.
Details of the departures came as the Colombian escort at the centre of the row spoke for the first time about what happened in Cartagena. It was her row with one of the agents – who refused to pay her the price they had agreed for sex – that led to the incident becoming public.
In an interview with the New York Times, the 24-year-old single mother who works as a high priced escort, said the men who approached her were "very discreet".
"They never told me they were with Obama," she said.
She told the newspaper that she and a girlfriend had been approached by a group of men in a club. After she and her friend had been bought two bottles of vodka, she agreed to return to the hotel room of one of the men. But in the morning, he failed to pay her $800 – the amount upon which they agreed. Instead, she said, he offered her 50,000 pesos, the equivalent of $30.
When she objected, he became angry and ordered her out of the room, she said. She went across the hall to find another escort who had stayed with another American man from the same group, and together they knocked on the door, but got no response.
Eventually, a Colombian policeman stationed in the hall helped to argue her case with two other Americans from the club who emerged from their rooms. When the escort lowered her demand to $250, they gave her the money and she left.
She said she only learned the man had been a secret service agent when it made the news.
Her interview came as the secret service sent more investigators to Colombia to interview the women involved. But she told the Times that she would not speak to the investigators and planned to leave the city.
Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential candidate, commented on the scandal for the first time on Wednesday, saying he would "clean house" at the agency.
"The right thing to do is to remove people who have violated the public trust and have put their playtime and their personal interests ahead of the interests of the nation," Romney said in a radio interview.
However, in comments that echoed statements of support from the White House, Romney said he retained his confidence in Mark Sullivan, the service's director.
Sullivan, who is facing questions on Capitol Hill about whether the incident could have jeopardised Obama's security, said he had referred the matter to an independent government investigator.
A spokeswomen for the office of the inspector-general said she could not confirm or deny that an investigation was underway.
Senator Patrick Leahy, the chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, which also has jurisdiction over the secret service, said he was "deeply concerned" by reports of what happened in Colombia and had organised a briefing for his committee. His office could not say whether an investigation was forthcoming.
In a statement, Leahy said: "I believe that Director Sullivan is taking serious action to investigate the incident, and will be staying in close contact with him in the days and weeks ahead. "
Senator Susan Collins of Maine, the top-ranking Republican on the homeland security committee, said on Tuesday that "20 or 21 women foreign nationals" were brought to the hotel. Eleven of the Americans involved were secret service agents, she said, and "allegedly marines were involved with the rest."
On Monday, the secret service announced it was revoking the security clearance of the 11 agents under investigation.
One of the officials told AP the group also includes two US navy technicians, two marine dog handlers and a member of the US air force. The green berets were working with Colombia's counterterrorist teams, the official said.
The agents and servicemen were in Colombia setting up security ahead of Obama's three-day trip to the port city of Cartagena for a summit attended by about 30 other world leaders.
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