sullivan has to go or do you still have confidence with him? >> bob, i was in colombia, and i landed on monday coming back from the organization of states, and director sulvance the first person i met with for two hours. i have faith in director sullivan but i believe we are at a moment in history-- since 1906, the secret service has protected the commander in chief the leader of the free world-- we had a moment in the history for the secret service to go forward the cancer must be carved out. frankly, i think there should be no tolerance, zero tolerance, and the took the opportunity to read the colombian law on prostitution. when the agents come back and tell us that it is legal, the only legal act is the sex worker's act. everything else is illegal. inducing, human traffickingly, being at a place like the play club that is like a brothel-- all of that is illegal. and these individuals breached the security, breached the integrity and honor of the secret service, which i respect, by doing this while they were there 24 hours a day to protect le

i think director sullivan has done a fine job. the fact is that you can't allow 11 men like this to tarnish the reputation of the agency and make sure that others are not doing it and that precautions are put in place and procedures in place to ensure it never happens again. >> congressman issa, let me pick up on that point. are others doing it? have others done it in the past? where does this investigation need to go in terms of whether other members of government involved in security or otherwise, who make these kinds of trips down there would be involved in this kind of activity? >> well, i think echoing what chairman king said, we're looking over the shoulder of mark sullivan, asking the director to do and exhaustive search, first of all, on this incident but also to make sure from a human resource management standpoint, that whatever in the culture allows people to think this was okay, this could happen, would be gone and gone forever. and i have great confidence he's doing it. obviously, nobody believes that something with 1

i think director sullivan has done a fine jo be. you can't allow 11 men like this to tarnish the great reputation of the agency and make sure that others are not doing it and that precautions are put in place and procedures in place to ensure it never happens again. >> congressman issa, let me pick up on that point. are others doing it? have others done it in the past? where does this investigation need to go in terms of whether other members of government involved in security or otherwise, who make these kinds of trips down there would be involved in this kind of activity? >> well, i think echoing what chairman king said, we're looking over the shoulder of mark sullivan, asking the director to do and exhaustive search, first of all, on this incident but also to make sure from a human resource management standpoint, that whatever in the culture allows people toç thin this was okay, this could happen, would be gone and gone forever. and i have great confidence he's doing it. obviously, nobody believes that something with 11 or 12 p

john sullivan is the most disciplined to have served this house. he's consistently shown grace under pressure. what may be well one of the biggest pressure cookers on earth. he's strengthened and modernized the office of the parliamentariato meet a more open and transparent congress. john, who was here on 9/11, determined how the house should go forward and has spent every day preparing for the unexpected. in a body where everything can happen, he's always thinking two steps ahead, like any good coach. so, of course, john's a modest man. he would just say he was just him doing his job. like i said, disciplined. butake no mistake, for the house and the people that we serve, he's gone above and beyond the call of duty. john, we're sorry to see you go but we want to wish you and your family the best and on behalf of the whole house, we want to thank for your service. the speaker: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield to the democratic leader, ms. pelosi. the speaker pro tempore: the gelelady is recognized. ms. pelosi: thank you, mr. speaker. i thk the spe

i believe director sullivan has done a fine job. the fact is you can't allow 11 men like this to tarnish the great reputation of that agency. >> let's go live to cartagena. police are conducting their own investigation. drew, it appears the woman at the center of this scandal has gone underground. what are you learning about this? >> reporter: absolutely correct. she has an attorney. that attorney is apparently farming around her story for cash. but the woman herself has all but disappeared. we went to her home. she lives down a dirt road in a gated community, middle class, though. the neighbors there say they have not seen her since the news broke. she lived there with her young school-aged son. she was quiet, respectable. she went to school and then to work at night. nobody really knew what she did. but she has disappeared. danya suarez is her name. 24 years old. colombia police have spent this weekend, last several days, trying to find all the women involved in this scandal, if you will, to find out what their stories are, if any

mark is sullivan has done a great job. he is running a thorough investigation and they have total faith in his anbilities. >> i have faith in director sullivan. >> the president thinks he is the right man to get to the bottom of this and make the changes that are necessary. >> he should keep his job? >> yes. >> i spoke to director sullivan last night and he is doing a thorough investigation. >> do you still have confidence in him? >> i do at this point. i have full faith in sullivan. >> i want to bring in lz grant and lenny, a writer and radio host. let's start with -- lz i will start with you. all of these people, will they have to eat their words about sulliv sullivan? >> i would hope not. i think that what you saw were people trying to rally behind someone who is a little bit embattled right now, in a position where he has the person people's trust. you have got show support. but at the same time, come on. we have just seen this script over and over again. >> i can understand it but he has been blind sided. if this is a

i believe director sullivan has done a fine johb. but you can't allow 11 men like this to tarnish the great reputation of that industry. >> police are conducting their own investigation in cartagena. drew, it appears the woman at the center of this scandal has gone underground. what are you learning about this? >> reporter: absolutely correct. she has an attorney. that attorney has apparently farming around her story for cash. but the woman herself has all but disappeared. we went to her home. she lives down a dirt road in a gated community, middle class, though. the neighbors there say they have not seen her since the news broke. she lived there with her young school-aged son. she was quiet, respectable. she went to school and then to work at night. nobody really knew what she did. but she's disappeared. danya suarez is her name. colombia police have spent this weekend, last several days, trying to find all the women involved in this scandal, if you will, to find out what their stories are, if anybody else had any trouble. also to s

she, of course, was acting on behalf of sullivan. i think sullivan has done a very good job. most of us have a lot of confidence in him, both sides of the aisle, by the way. >> now white house spokesman jay carne said that the scandal involved only the agents and military personnel, and he criticized those who are -- and these are his words -- trying to pri politicize the issue. >>> prosecutors prepare to lay out their fraud case against former presidential candidate john edwards. an in depth look next. weight balance from front to back... and back to front. ♪ giving you exceptional control from left to right... and right to left. ♪ the cadillac cts. ♪ we don't just make luxury cars. we make cadillacs. >>> he's been a u.s. senator, vice presidential nominee and a presidential candidate. now john edwards is assuming another title -- criminal defendant. his fraud trial begins tomorrow in north carolina, and edwards is accused of using campaign funds illegally to cover up a sexual affair. cnn's joe johns has more. >> reporter: this political soap opera started at a bar in

speak. >> i've known mark sullivan, i have a great regard for him. and from what we know so far, he acted quickly, he acted promptly, and he did the right thing. >> reporter: but official washington is also demanding quick answers from sullivan, who has been briefing members of congress about the allegations that secret service and military personnel brought prosecutionty toots back to their hotel in colombia last week. >> there were 20 to 21 women who were signed in to the hotel. >> reporter: nbc's national investigative correspondent michael isikoff confirms the women were working at this cartagena bar, where witnesses told a telemundo reporter, the men were drinking and partying. >> it's so hard for me to believe that this was the first time an incident like this occurred, because too many people were involved. for 11 or 12 secret service personnel to be involved raises a huge red flag. >> it's not the first time a flag has been raised. in 2009 the secret service came under scrutiny when a reality tv couple entered a state dinner without an invita

i believe director sullivan has done a fine job. but you can't allow 11 men like this to tarnish the great reputation of that industry. >> let's go live to colombia. police are conducting their own investigation now. drew, it appears the woman at the center of this scandal has gone underground. what are you learning about this? >> reporter: absolutely correct. she has an attorney. that attorney has apparently farming around her story for cash. but the woman herself has all but disappeared. we went to her home. she lives down a dirt road in a gated community, middle class, though. the neighbors there say they have not seen her since the news broke. she lived there with her young school-aged son. she was quiet, respectable. she went to school and then to work at night. nobody really knew what she did. but she's disappeared. danya suarez is her name. 24 years old. in the meantime, colombia police have spent this weekend, last several days, trying too find all the women involved in this scandal, if you will, to find out what their stori

sullivan takes the belt off saying he wants to get comfortable. moments later the party comes to an abrupt end. >> don't move. let me see your hand. >> reporter: they detonate a flash bang grenade. and it is the beginning of the end for the former sheriff, pat sullivan. >> oh my goodness. >>> well, breast-feeding mothers in seattle are taking their fight to city hall. they want legal protection to feed their babies in public. now by law, moms can breast- feed any way they would like to, but a group of moms who showed up at the city hall say that will not be enough. they would like the city council to make it illegal for someone to cover up or to move. now if it is approved, this measure would give moms the file to set up a complaint. >> that will give women the power to breast-feed and take care of their child the way they know is best. >> some people think oh you should do this in private, it's a private thing. but nobody really eats in private. a lot of people go out to eat and they eat in restaurants and eat in public. why should my son not hav

edward sullivan, who is one of the prosecutors who has asked the u.s. court of appeals for an emergency stay to appreciate the release of this report next week. so the question is whether you support the merits ever that appeal, and, again, whether or not the taxpayers are on the hook to pay for his attorneys to argue that this report should be kept from the public? >> yeah. i don't think we take any position regard to the -- with regard to what he has said about his desire to keep the report sealed, but we, the justice department, has indicated that we do not object to the release of the report. i think the given -- given the issues that we found there, the magnitude of the case and frankly the magnitude of the errors that led me to decide to dismiss the case, that there is a legitimate public interest in knowing as much as we can about what happened, why it happened, what steps the justice department has taken in connection with the, these findings of misconduct. >> so is the justice department paying for his attorneys fees in this matter to keep this

i've spoken a number of times with secret service director sullivan about this. in fact, we met privately for about an hour yesterday, and probably been on the phone half a dozen or a dozen times. i've known the director from the time that he was an agent. i knew him when president bush appointed him as director of the secret service and when president obama re-appointed. i know he shares my view that the alleged conduct was unacceptable. i think he's doing all he can to ensure a timely and thorough investigation, accountability for behavior that failed to meet the standards he expects and certainly the standards that the president of the united states and the american people deserve. he's taken action on 12 agents who have been claiming to have been involved in misconduct. and last week arranged for a bipartisan briefing, judiciary committee staff, republican and democratic with the secret service and officials from the department of homeland security office and inspector general. i've asked director to assure he's available to members of this committee as the i

but director sullivan indicated that he is still looking for the facts. right now they have begun to question supervisors that were on the ground, personnel attached to the embassy that was there. they have not completed an investigation, but they really need more facts and they really are seeking for anyone who would come forward, for the source to come forward, maybe voluntarily. but we obviously made the point that no stone should be left unturned with respect to any allegations that may be coming forward. now, i added something, and i really believe it is important for some statement to come forward. i believe from the agency in whatever appropriate way, to insist that this is not and should not be the culture of the agency, that no further opportunities like this will be allowed by anybody who was employed by the agency, to restore the faith and confidence of the american people and to say again as i have said that the greater majority of secret service agents over the decades have been hard working and protected the commander in chief to the utmost.

. >> smith: avellino knew sullivan through bible group at this fort lauderdale church. after 1992, sullivan took on around 30 of avellino and bienes' accounts. >> avellino and bienes kept their hands in the jar. the sec action was simply a bump in the road. it was... it barely slowed them down. >> smith: bienes denies routing clients through sullivan or anyone else. >> if they called me, i said, "listen, the only advice i can give you is call bernie, if you want to get... i don't know if he'll take you." >> smith: or "call michael sullivan." >> no, absolutely not. never! >> smith: now, why does that push a button? >> because it's not so, and that's what really bugs me. >> smith: but you got people saying that they were advised... >> i don't care what people say. they're lying. >> smith: but documents show that after 1992, former avellino and bienes clients began moving their money into partnerships that were michael sullivan's conduits to madoff. avellino and bienes also continued to invest their own personal money with madoff, and went on to amass fortunes. the avellin

one, it signals that he has confidence in sullivan and two it's important for morale. erin, there are lots of men and women who serve in the secret service honorably and well with courage and they need to know that they're still respected by the president and the receiving of director sullivan is just the kind of signal they were looking for. >> are you surprised, fran, i mean, as far as we know at cnn this is the first meeting between director sullivan and the president. are you surprised it took this long? >> i am, erin, because, you know, these are people who are really very much in the president's space every hour of every day. and they protect him and his family. there's constant interaction between the president and the head of his personal detail. and so i am a little surprised. although i expect the kinds of things you don't see or not reported is sort of interaction the president would have had with his personal detail getting them en -- giving them encouragement and support. i do think it's important that this took place. i think it's important. >> and do you

has confidence in the director of the secret service, director sullivan acted quickly in response to this incident and is overseeing an investigation as we speak. >> i've known mark sullivan, very a great regard for him. from what we know so far, he acted quickly, promptly and did the right thing. >> reporter: but official washington is demanding quick answers from sullivan, who has been briefing members of congress about the incident secret service agents brought prostitutes back to their hotel rooms last week. >> there were 20 to 21 women signed in to the hotel. >> reporter: michael isikoff confirms the women were working at this cartagena bar, where witnesses said the men were drinking and partying. >> it's so hard for me to believe that this was the first time an incident like this occurred, because too many people were involved. for 11 or 12 secret service personnel to be involved raises a huge red flag. >> it's not the first time a flag has been raised. in 2009 the secret service came under scrutiny when a reality tv couple entered a state dinner without an invitation. >> this

. >> the president has confidence in the director of the secret service, director sullivan acted quickly in response to this incident and is overseeing an investigation as we speak. >> i've known mark sullivan, i have a great regard for him. from what we know so far, he acted quickly, he acted promptly, and he did the right thing. >> reporter: but official washington is demanding quick answers from sullivan, who has been briefing members of congress about the incident secret service agents brought prostitutes back to their hotel in colombia last week. >> there were 20 to 21 women who were signed in to the hotel. >> reporter: nbc's national investigative correspondent michael isikoff confirms the women were working at this cartagena bar, where witnesses said the men were drinking and partying. >> it's so hard for me to believe that this was the first time an incident like this occurred, because too many people were involved. for 11 or 12 secret service personnel to be involved raises a huge red flag. >> it's not the first time a flag has been raised. in 2009 the secret service came under

the white house of course says they support mark sullivan at this point. it seems like a lot of people are holding their fire as we wait for the results of this investigation which could really prove pivotal to the director of the secret service, jessica. >> i want to add this, while you were reporting, if you check your black burberrblackberry, ys too, multiple e-mails from multiple white house officials telling us the president this afternoon in the oval office received a briefing from the director of secret service on the ongoing investigation. so multiple white house officials telling us that update did already in fact happen in the oval office with the president. and i wanted to ask you as well, this incident also involved members of the military. on that part of the story, there's been a lot less information coming out of the investigation, until now. what do we know on the latest on the military aspect of this investigation? >> reporter: there's been less information but we do know today that has widened just a little bit. we were reporting before t

sullivan. at the same time, how disappointed are you and the president that he even the known facts that the agents would have been going to a strip club and participating in that kind of an environment, we're not saying anything illegal was done but just the optics of that, is that the way they should be behaving when representing the president of the united states abroad? >> again, andrea, i would repeat what the president said earlier in the week which is that he has an enormous amount of respect and confidence in the secret service. he has enormous respect for director sullivan and the fine work that they will do each and every day keeping the president, his family, many others safe and sound. he also said though that if it turns out as a result of this investigation that the facts are true, then, of course, he'll be angry and very disappointed. he would also mention director sullivan took swift action and he has encouraged a rigorous and thorough investigation. let's wait till that investi

mark sullivan has spent a lot of time on capitol hill. as a result of that, you don't hear many calls for mark sullivan to resign, because he's handled it pretty well with the hill. the defense department made a mistake. one, they waited way too long to start these briefings. today was the first one. this incident happened almost two weeks ago. two, they were unprepared. i find it surprising because, you know, i sit on the cia's external advisory board. when leon panetta was the director of cia, he rebuilt the cia's relationship with capitol hill because i've heard him speak many times about the need for transparency. he's out of the country right now when they went up to capitol hill. i suspect when he gets back, he will have to personally address the deficiency and deal with it. >> i know senator grassley said he was making a rhetorical point but it also seemed to be more than that. prostitutes have been used i'm sure throughout human history as spies and agents. now, if this is -- it could have been that case or not, but that's not eve

many calls for sullivan to resign because he's handled it pretty well. they made a mistake, one, they waited to start the briefings. this incident happened almost two weeks ago. two, they were unprepared. i find it surprising because you know i sit on the cia's external advisory board. and when leon panetta was the director of the cia, he rebuilt the relationship with capitol hill because i have heard him speak many times about the need for transparency with your oversight committee. >> right. >> he's out of the country right now. when they went up to capitol hill. i suspect when he gets back, he will have to personally address the deficiency and deal with this. that's right. >> what do you think about what senator grassley is saying? i know he said he was making a rhetorical point but it seems to be more than that. pro prostitutes has been used throughout human history as spies and agents. it could have been the case in cartegena or not, but that's not the point. if this is more common in the agency it could be happening and it could be threatening the

many calls for sullivan to resign because he's handled it pretty well. they made a mistake, one, they waited to start the briefings. this incident happened almost two weeks ago. two, they were unprepared. i find it surprising because you know i sit on the cia's external advisory board. and when leon panetta was the director of the cia, he rebuilt the relationship with capitol hill because i have heard him speak many times about the need for transparency with your oversight committee. >> right. >> he's out of the country right now. when they went up to capitol hill. i suspect when he gets back, he will have to personally address the deficiency and deal with this. that's right. >> what do you think about what senator grassley is saying? i know he said he was making a rhetorical point but it seems to be more than that. p prostitutes has been used throughout human history as spies and agents. it could have been the case in cartegena or not, but that's not the point. if this is more common in the agency it could be happening and it could be threatening the pr