Secret Service agent who was mentioned at explosive Jan. 6 committee hearing retires

Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Secret Service Assistant Director Tony Ornato -- whose name came to light during one of the most surprising days of testimony this summer before the House Jan. 6 committee -- has left the agency.

Ornato left the Secret Service on Monday after 25 years in the agency. He said he left to pursue opportunities in the private sector.

On Tuesday, he confirmed his departure in statements to CNN, NBC News and Politico.

"I retired from the U.S. Secret Service after more than 25 years of faithful service to my country, including serving the past five presidents," he said according to CNN. "I long-planned to retire and have been planning this transition for more than a year."

Ornato's path was an unusual one for a member of the Secret Service. After decades at the agency, he left in 2019 to become then-President Donald Trump's White House deputy chief of staff for operations. He later returned to the agency to run its training program.

During a public hearing of the Jan. 6 committee in June, former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified that Ornato had told her on the day of the attack that Trump became angry when his detail would not let him go to the Capitol with his supporters.

One detail from Hutchinson's account that surprised many was she said Ornato told her that Trump at one point tried to grab the steering wheel of the presidential limousine, called "the beast," when he was told he couldn't go.

"The president had a very strong, very angry response to that," Hutchinson said in her testimony. "Tony described him as being irate. The president said something to the effect of, 'I'm the effing president, take me to the Capitol now.'"

Ornato, who has denied telling Hutchinson those details, has already testified twice before the committee in private session earlier this year. His testimony from those meetings has not been made public.

Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi acknowledged that Ornato was planning to retire for more than a year and left in good standing.