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The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Secret Service and US military engineers face scrutiny over raising lake water level for Vance's birthday
The US Secret Service and US military engineers are facing scrutiny after Adam Schiff, the California senator, demanded they answer questions about the Trump administration's recent decision to change the water level of a lake in Ohio to facilitate a family boating trip for JD Vance on his birthday. The Secret Service has said that it requested the outflow of the Caesar Creek Lake in Ohio be changed shortly before the vice-president's 2 August trip so that his security detail could safely navigate the Little Miami River, which the lake feeds into. The story was first reported by the Guardian last week. The secret service also said that neither Vance nor his staff knew that it had made the request. In a letter to Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, and Army Corps of Engineers leadership, Schiff suggested the use of funds to alter the outflow of the lake for personal use may have been inappropriate, and said he wanted information on the process and documentation of the decision. 'The misuse of public water resources for the vice-president's family is particularly offensive considering this administration's cuts to federal agencies, cuts which are already harming outdoor recreation opportunities for American families,' Schiff wrote. The Guardian reported last week that is not unprecedented for military engineers in Louisville, Kentucky, who have jurisdiction over the area, to modify water outflows to accommodate public use – for example, for use in community river events and training for emergency responders. Regulations regarding requests for so-called 'deviations' – or any changes to normal practices – require approval and documentation that demonstrates why the deviation is justified. This process also ensures that risks associated with any deviation – including a flood risk or other environmental impact – is detailed. The USACE said in a statement last week that the Secret Service request 'met the operational criteria outlined in the Water Control Manual for Caesar Creek Lake and did not require a deviation from normal procedures'. But in his letter, Schiff accused the Army Corps leadership of improperly leveraging access to public services for personal use and waiving standard documentation that is required to identify and justify risks associated with the deviation. 'Accordingly, I request an explanation of this USACE action and a commitment to no longer using federal resources for such unjustified and frivolous purposes,' Schiff wrote. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion The California Democrat also pointed to the Trump administration's 'frivolous release' of billions of gallons of water from California reservoirs as another instance in which the Army Corps executed 'questionable abuses'. The water was released following an executive order from the White House for the alleged purpose of helping to fight the Los Angeles fires, though the Army Corp allegedly and reportedly knew the release would not be delivered to southern California directly. JD Vance's communications director, Will Martin, has defended the canoe trip in an article on Breitbart, saying Democrats were trying to 'turn it into a story about elitism'. He accused Democrats who were critical of Vance for benefitting from public infrastructure for his birthday trip of having 'no clue how normal families operate' and that the idea of a family canoeing together is 'completely foreign to them'. 'The far-left media is desperate to smear Vice-President Vance and they've hit a new low by attacking him for enjoying his birthday with his wife and kids,' Martin said, referring to the Guardian.
Yahoo
09-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
JD Vance Had A River's Water Level Raised For His Family Vacation, And Yeah, This Is Unfortunately Real
A request from Vice President JD Vance led to a temporary rise of the Ohio River water levels to accommodate his family vacation. On Wednesday, The Guardian reported that a statement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) stated that the Secret Service had contacted the agency to fulfill the request, citing the need for 'support' for a 'safe navigation' to accommodate Vance's bodyguards on Caesar Creek Lake. Newsweek also confirmed the timing: Vance's 41st birthday. The outlet further reported that the Secret Service stated it 'conducted operational planning to ensure that motorized watercraft and emergency personnel could operate safely with appropriate water levels during a recent visit.' Related: But according to an exclusive anonymous source cited by The Guardian, the temporary rise in water levels wasn't just about protecting the VP. The outlet reported the adjustment also served to create 'ideal kayaking conditions' for Vance and his family. That same source said that requests for 'special releases' are rarely granted when made on behalf of private citizens. In a statement to The Guardian, the Secret Service declined to confirm the specifics of its operational planning. The outlet noted that the request had been forwarded to USACE headquarters, where spokesperson Gene Pawlik acknowledged 'a request to temporarily increase outflows from Caesar Creek Lake to support safe navigation of US Secret Service personnel.' Related: Pawlik added that the request 'met the operational criteria outlined in the Water Control Manual for Caesar Creek Lake and did not require a deviation from normal procedures.' 'It was determined that the operations would not adversely affect downstream or upstream water levels. Downstream stakeholders were notified in advance of the slight outflow increase, which occurred August 1, 2025,' he added. While there's no public evidence so far that the action broke any laws, some ethics experts are raising concerns. Related: Richard Painter, an ethics lawyer who served in the George W. Bush administration, blasted the move in a post on X, formerly Twitter. @RWPUSA / Via Twitter: @RWPUSA 'As I said here, it's outrageous for the Army corps of engineers to spend taxpayer money to increase water flow in a river so @VP can go canoeing when budget cuts to the National Park Service have severely impacted family vacations for everyone else,' Painter wrote. Former White House special counsel Norm Eisen also weighed in. 'I never would have permitted this kind of a thing because whether it technically violates the rules or not, it creates the appearance that the vice-president of the United States is getting special treatment that's not available to the average person who wants to utilize that body of water for recreational purposes,' Eisen said. This isn't the first time Vance's vacation plans have drawn scrutiny. In July, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) took a shot at the VP during a family vacation at Disneyland. Related: 'Hope you enjoy your family time, @JDVance. The families you're tearing apart certainly won't,' he said on X, formerly Twitter, on a video of Vance on vacation, in reference to the administration's immigration policies. Vance's office did not immediately respond to HuffPost's request for comment. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Also in In the News: Also in In the News: Also in In the News: Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
While We Worried About Grocery Prices, JD Vance Was Making People Raise The Levels Of A River For His Birthday
A request from Vice President JD Vance led to a temporary rise of the Ohio River water levels to accommodate his family vacation. On Wednesday, The Guardian reported that a statement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) stated that the Secret Service had contacted the agency to fulfill the request, citing the need for 'support' for a 'safe navigation' to accommodate Vance's bodyguards on Caesar Creek Lake. Newsweek also confirmed the timing: Vance's 41st birthday. The outlet further reported that the Secret Service stated it 'conducted operational planning to ensure that motorized watercraft and emergency personnel could operate safely with appropriate water levels during a recent visit.' Related: But according to an exclusive anonymous source cited by The Guardian, the temporary rise in water levels wasn't just about protecting the VP. The outlet reported the adjustment also served to create 'ideal kayaking conditions' for Vance and his family. That same source said that requests for 'special releases' are rarely granted when made on behalf of private citizens. In a statement to The Guardian, the Secret Service declined to confirm the specifics of its operational planning. The outlet noted that the request had been forwarded to USACE headquarters, where spokesperson Gene Pawlik acknowledged 'a request to temporarily increase outflows from Caesar Creek Lake to support safe navigation of US Secret Service personnel.' Related: Pawlik added that the request 'met the operational criteria outlined in the Water Control Manual for Caesar Creek Lake and did not require a deviation from normal procedures.' 'It was determined that the operations would not adversely affect downstream or upstream water levels. Downstream stakeholders were notified in advance of the slight outflow increase, which occurred August 1, 2025,' he added. While there's no public evidence so far that the action broke any laws, some ethics experts are raising concerns. Related: Richard Painter, an ethics lawyer who served in the George W. Bush administration, blasted the move in a post on X, formerly Twitter. @RWPUSA / Via Twitter: @RWPUSA 'As I said here, it's outrageous for the Army corps of engineers to spend taxpayer money to increase water flow in a river so @VP can go canoeing when budget cuts to the National Park Service have severely impacted family vacations for everyone else,' Painter wrote. Former White House special counsel Norm Eisen also weighed in. 'I never would have permitted this kind of a thing because whether it technically violates the rules or not, it creates the appearance that the vice-president of the United States is getting special treatment that's not available to the average person who wants to utilize that body of water for recreational purposes,' Eisen said. This isn't the first time Vance's vacation plans have drawn scrutiny. In July, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) took a shot at the VP during a family vacation at Disneyland. Related: 'Hope you enjoy your family time, @JDVance. The families you're tearing apart certainly won't,' he said on X, formerly Twitter, on a video of Vance on vacation, in reference to the administration's immigration policies. Vance's office did not immediately respond to HuffPost's request for comment. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Also in In the News: Also in In the News: Also in In the News:
