Secret Service stays secure amid scandal: ANALYSIS

The Secret Service has shown itself to be an agency able to learn and adapt from any failures according to a former agent.

Two suspects have been charged with impersonating Homeland Security Investigations Agents (HSI). Authorities say they were able to dupe individuals, including Secret Service and HSI personnel who lived in the same apartment building with them, into believing their identities as federal agents for still unknown reasons.

Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali were arrested on April 6 and charged with impersonating federal law enforcement. Neither man has yet entered a plea.

These shocking charges and situation have brought out questions concerning national security, counterintelligence, ethics and the wisdom of federal agents accepting gifts from any individual, regardless of their position.

Gifting in the federal government, for all personnel, is regulated by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The rules can vary from agency to agency but generally, the gifting rules are in place to prevent an individual or entity from exercising undue influence upon a federal employee for some type of benefit from the government, for official activities, not personnel.