Washington — U.S. Secret Service director James M. Murray will be retiring at the end the month after 32 years in federal government service and three years as the agency’s chief.
Since May 1, 2019, the 27-year-old Secret Service veteran has been the agency’s chief executives. He managed the agency through 42 protective details deployed by Trump’s administration and the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, he navigated a number of controversies.
Murray’s resignation comes amid ongoing questions about an alleged altercation among former President Donald Trump, his security detail, and the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021. This was detailed in explosive congressional testimony last week by Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide.
Hutchinson claimed that Trump lunged at an agent of the Secret Service and tried to grab his car when agents refused to take him to the Capitol. A source close to Secret Service said that Hutchinson’s account was not supported by the two Secret Service agents present in the vehicle.
Four Secret Service officers were fired earlier this year after being allegedly duped by two men who claimed to be federal law enforcement.
According to a source, the Secret Service veteran has been planning his exit for several months.
The agency released a statement Thursday afternoon stating that Director Murray had “successfully guided the agency through eight National Special Security Events” and almost 20,000 domestic and international protective operations. “The agency recovered $4.2 billion in fraud losses and prevented $8.1 billion in additional losses due to criminal enterprise.”
“I have greatly benefited from the opportunity to rely upon Director Murray as a trusted adviser and highly regarded leader within the Department of Homeland Security,” Alejandro Mayorkas (HSS Secretary), said in a statement. His department oversees U.S. Secret Service. I am grateful for his guidance, judgment, and steady hands through the myriad of challenges that we have faced.
New Jersey native Murray began his federal career as an investigator for the U.S. Department of Transportation in 1990. He also served as an officer in U.S. Army Reserve. Murray joined the Secret Service in 1995 and was assigned to the New York Field Office as an agent special investigating cyber-enabled criminal activities. He also serves as liaison to the FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Murray joined the agency almost three decades ago. He has risen through the ranks of the agency’s offices in Washington, D.C., and Atlantic City, New Jersey. Murray was previously an assistant to the Special Agent in Charge of the Presidential Protective Division. This team is responsible for protecting the president and his motorcade. The agency has undergone a significant transformation during his time with the U.S. Secret Service. The agency is no longer responsible for protecting the president, first spouse, and White House. Its mission has expanded to include cyberattacks, terrorist plots, and other threats.
Murray will retire from federal service on July 30, 2022. According to a source, he plans to join Snap Inc.’s social media platform in the next few weeks.
