Thread by @nimkef

21 Frb 2021

Anthony M. Ornato

Assistant Director
Secret Service Office of Training

He recently was detailed to the White House and served as an Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations.

web.archive.org/web/2021022123…

He was responsible for managing the overall administrative, tech, security & military support structure for the President, as well as day-to-day management of the WH Complex, the Executive Office of the President, Presidential facilities & the President’s schedule & travel ops

He had authority over the budget, HR, IT systems, and facilities management of the Executive Office of the President; Air Force One; Marine One; Camp David; the White House Communications Agency; Presidential Continuity Policy, Plans and Requirements.

Prior to his detail at the White House, Ornato served as the SES Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) of the Office of Investigations (INV). As the DAD he oversaw the foreign field offices as well as all headquarters divisions under INV, including the Criminal Investigation Division

He was responsible for all investigative strategies as well as the implementation of investigative training at the National Computer Forensics Institute.

Ornato previously served as the SES Special Agent in Charge (SAIC) of the Presidential Protective Division (PPD), where he directed all PPD operational strategies and is responsible for the protective methodology and procedures for the President and the First Family

In addition, he managed all personnel, operations, and a travel expense budget for the PPD.

Prior to assuming the office he served as the SES DSAIC of the PPD, supervising the White House Security Branch which included physical protection of all events on the White House Complex

Ornato has also held the positions of ASAIC and ATSAIC of the PPD, as well as ATSAIC of the New York Field Office. As ASAIC Ornato, he maintained responsibility for operations and career development of special agents and supervisors on PPD.

ATSAIC Ornato was responsible for all protective operations in the New York Field Office’s district, including the UN General Assembly for three consecutive years

Ornato has 25+ years of law enforcement experience, with 23+ years with the Secret Service and over 2 years as a City of Waterbury, CT police officer. He was commissioned as a Special Agent in 1997 and served as a criminal investigator in the New Haven Resident Office

Ornato has served on the Presidential Protective Division during the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations.

He holds a BSc and MSc from the School of Forensic Science, Uni. of New Haven (1995 & 1999) and a Master of Administrative Leadership from The UOklahoma (2016)

Ornato holds a Key Executive Leadership Certificate from American University, DC and a Harvard Kennedy School General & Flag Officers Homeland Security Certificate from Harvard University.

In 2021, he was awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.

30 Dec 2020

Secret Service took the unprecedented step of allowing the former detail leader to temporarily leave his job to become a White House political adviser. Anthony "Tony" Ornato was hired as White House deputy chief of staff earlier this year.

web.archive.org/web/2021010304…

In that role, Ornato helped coordinate a controversial June photo opportunity in which Trump strode defiantly across Lafayette Square to pose with a Bible after the park was forcibly cleared of peaceful protesters

15 July 2021

Two shocking reports were revealed Thursday as part of Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker's new book, I Alone Can Fix It, and MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace.

Wallace, a former comms official in GWBush's WH evidently, called her own GOP sources.

web.archive.org/web/2021080302…

"At 14:26, [on 6 Jan 2021] after agents scouted a safe path, Giebels and the rest of Pence's detail guided them down a staircase to a secure subterranean area that rioters couldn't reach, where the VP's armored limo waited

https://twitter.com/nimkef/status/1535447034148311042?s=20&t=4h341dirU_lxqS30htgoWA

Giebels asked Pence to get in one of the vehicles."

"We can hold here," Giebels told Pence.

"I'm not getting in the car, Tim," Pence said. "I trust you, Tim, but you're not driving the car. If I get in that vehicle, you guys are taking off. I'm not getting in the car."

They found a secure underground area where they waited instead.

At the WH, ret. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Pence's national security adviser, ran into Tony Ornato who oversaw the Secret Service movements. Ornato told Kellogg that they were going to take Pence to Joint Base Andrews.

"You can't do that, Tony," Kellogg said. "Leave him where he's at. He's got a job to do. I know you guys too well. You'll fly him to Alaska if you have a chance. Don't do it."

"Pence feared a conspiracy, feared that the Secret Service would aid Trump and his ultimate aims that day," said Wallace

2 June 2020

A DoJ spokeswoman said Monday that Trump had directed Barr to personally “lead” the response to the unrest.

web.archive.org/web/2020091605…

Less than an hour before police moved to clear the peaceful demonstrators from in front of Lafayette Square, Barr was captured on camera with officials at the scene, including Tony Ornato, the White House deputy chief of staff.

Ornato was involved in discussions Monday w/ CoS Mark Meadows, Jared Kushner and other top WH officials about a possible visit by Trump to St. John’s Church. Meadows told others the idea was suggested by Ivanka Trump, according to two administration officials

Aides worked on plans for much of the afternoon, though a final decision was not made until after 18:00, a senior administration official said. There were also talks about invoking the Insurrection Act, but some advisers, including Barr, argued against it.

Ornato ultimately contacted the Secret Service to arrange for the president to make a brief appearance the church. Following protocol, the Secret Service alerted other law enforcement agencies that it would need help clearing the area for the president’s safety, they said.

1 June 2020 protestors arrived outside Lafayette Square at 17:00

2 June 2020

By the end of the day, urged on by his daughter Ivanka Trump [when did she suggest this?], he came up with a more personal way of demonstrating toughness — he would march across Lafayette Square to a church damaged by fire the night before.

web.archive.org/web/2020091704…

A plan developed earlier in the day to expand the security perimeter around the White House had not been carried out.

[Around 18:08?] AG Barr discovered that protesters were still on the northern edge of the square [didn't the protestors arrive at 17:00?]. For the president to make it to St. John’s Church, they would have to be cleared out. Mr. Barr gave the order to disperse them.

Some video via David Frum, of Lafayette Square on 1 June 2020 just before the protestors are dispersed?

http://web.archive.org/web/20200602194048/https://twitter.com/davidfrum/status/1267581650159972352

Parts of the protest seemed very well organized. On the NW corner of Lafayette Sq lay a big dump of bottled water, medical face masks, latex gloves, paper towel & milk as a remedy for tear gas. All free, w/ a request to Venmo donations to a listed address

https://twitter.com/davidfrum/status/1267575133142683649?s=20&t=lJ2liwyeFYghF3okNvdXVw

[Note: that thread by Frum was posted on 1 June 2020 just before 18:00]

At 5:05 pm, I counted 9 two and a half ton military trucks carrying troops in tan uniforms and helmets pull off 17th Street into the White House grounds.

https://twitter.com/ByBrianBennett/status/1267565583400415248?s=20&t=lJ2liwyeFYghF3okNvdXVw

1 June 2020
14:49

I am absolutely BAFFLED by US Park Police and Secret Service right now. Maybe 200 protestors were sitting on H St in front of Lafayette Park and police just formed a line in the park in full riot gear. Provocative & totally unnecessary

https://twitter.com/GarrettHaake/status/1267528720719495171?s=20&t=lJ2liwyeFYghF3okNvdXVw

17:06

The crowd of peaceful protesters continues to grow at Lafayette Square, despite a 7pm curfew rapidly approaching in two hours. Roughly 2,000 people demonstrate in front of hundreds of riot police. #dcprotest

https://twitter.com/opitz_peter/status/1267563158283210759?s=20&t=lJ2liwyeFYghF3okNvdXVw