Who is the director of the Secret Service? Kimberly Cheatle has led agency since 2022

A House Republican leader is planning for an oversight hearing with the U.S. Secret Service after President Donald Trump was shot in the ear at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday evening.

Sunday morning the FBI identified Thomas Matthew Crooks as the gunman who opened fire at Trump's rally. The Secret Service reported that the shooter and one rally attendee are dead. Two spectators are critically injured following the shooting.

House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Kentucky, made the request for a briefing with the Secret Service and said he would call Kimberly Cheatle, the agency's director, to testify at a hearing.

"My prayers are with President Trump and the victims of the assassination attempt at today’s rally in Pennsylvania. I thank the brave Secret Service members who put their lives at risk to protect President Trump and for the American patriots in the audience who helped innocent victims," Comer said in a news release Saturday. "Political violence in all forms is unamerican and unacceptable. There are many questions and Americans demand answers. I have already contacted the Secret Service for a briefing and am also calling on Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to appear for a hearing. The Oversight Committee will send a formal invitation soon.”

So who is Kimberly Cheatle?

Who is in charge of the Secret Service?

Kimberly Cheatle was sworn in as the 27th director of the U.S. Secret Service in September 2022. She was selected by President Joe Biden in August 2022.

Cheatle has served more than 25 years with distinction for the United States Secret Service across a number of leadership roles. She worked on the Vice Presidential Protective Division, and in 2021, Biden awarded Cheatle with a Presidential Rank Award.

What does the director of the Secret Service do?

In Cheatle's role as director of the U.S. Secret Service, she is in charge of executing protection and investigations for the agency.

The workforce is composed of multiple divisions within the Secret Service including Special Agents, Uniformed Division Officers, Technical Law Enforcement Officers and Administrative, Professional and Technical personnel, according to the Secret Service's website.

What did Kimberly Cheatle do before the Secret Service?

Prior to becoming the Secret Service director, Cheatle worked for PepsiCo as the senior director in Global Security, according to her biography with the Secret Service. There, Cheatle oversaw and directed security protocols for the company's facilities in North America.

Cheatle was the agency's assistant director of the Office of Protective Details, prior to joining PepsiCo. She also served as the Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service's Atlanta Field Office. In that position, she provided oversight for all missions related to investigation, protective intelligence and protective visits in the state of Georgia.

When will the director of the Secret Service testify?

The hearing is expected to take place July 22, 2024, according to a letter from the Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

When was the Secret Service created?

Established in 1865, the U.S. Secret Service is one of the country's oldest federal law enforcement agencies. The U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division protects the White House Complex and Naval Observatory, according to the Secret Service's website.

One of the newest expansions of the Secret Service's protective missions includes the issuance of Presidential Decision Directives. This established the agency as the lead for coordinating the development and implementation of security plans for National Special Security Events. This covers presidential inaugurations, State of the Union Addresses and other events of national significance.

Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Kimberly Cheatle, director of the U.S. Secret Service?