Ladies and gentlemen, buckle up because this story is a real eye-opener!
Imagine owning a small business, only to find out that it’s been used as a pit stop by the Secret Service—without your permission. That’s exactly what happened to Alicia Powers, the owner of Four One Three Salon in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, during a Vice President Kamala Harris campaign event on July 27th.
Here’s how it all went down. Powers had decided to close her salon for the day due to the intense security and bomb sweeps happening in the area. But what she didn’t expect was for the Secret Service to take over her business in her absence.
According to Powers, the agents didn’t just pop in—they covered one of her security cameras with tape, broke into her salon, used the bathroom, and even helped themselves to the mints on the counter. And the kicker? They left without cleaning up or locking the door behind them.
Powers was shocked when she discovered what had happened. She hadn’t given anyone permission to enter her salon, and neither had her landlord, Brian Smith, or his father, who co-own the building. Smith confirmed that no one had authorized the Secret Service to enter the premises, making the agents’ actions even more concerning.
Powers’ other security cameras recorded people coming in and out of her business for nearly two hours, and she later learned that someone dressed in all black had been instructing others to use the bathroom in her salon throughout the afternoon. When Powers contacted the Secret Service’s New York office, she was met with denial and what she described as an attempt to guilt her into dropping the issue. But Powers wasn’t backing down.
“And he kind of ended the conversation with telling me, ‘Do you think we need to deal with this right now with what we have going on?’ And my response was, ‘Sir, I’m not trying to be rude, but I don’t deserve to deal with this right now either,’” she said.
After Business Insider published the story, the head of the Secret Service’s Boston-based field office reached out to Powers, apologizing and admitting that everything the agents did was wrong. According to Powers, they acknowledged that they shouldn’t have taped over her camera, entered the building, or used her facilities without permission.
However, now they seem to be backpedaling.
The Secret Service is now attempting to walk back their admission that they were involved https://t.co/G83O0fYCcQ
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 12, 2024
Powers explained, “I’m the kind of person that would have set up coffee and doughnuts for them had they asked me for permission.”
“Instead, they taped over a security camera on the back porch, broke into the salon, helped themselves to the bathroom, ate the mints on the counter, and left without tidying up the bathroom or locking the back door on the way out,” The Berkshire Eagle, a local newspaper reported.
Now, folks, this isn’t just about an unlocked door or a taped-over camera. It’s about the sense of violation and disrespect felt by a local business owner who was just trying to get through a chaotic day. Powers is determined to get accountability, and with the support of the Pittsfield Police Department, she’s not letting this slide.
“When they cleaned up and they left the tape on my camera and they left my back door completely unlocked,” Powers said. “What could have happened in that hour and a half or two hours that you guys left the building unlocked?”
In a surprising turn of events, the Secret Service issued an apology to Alicia Powers, a salon owner in Massachusetts, after she alleged that individuals broke into her business to use the bathroom during security preparations for a nearby fundraiser featuring VP Kamala Harris.… pic.twitter.com/7nSTvFCVS1
— Brandon – R2R Network (@BrandonDavisR2R) August 12, 2024
This incident raises serious questions about how far the Secret Service can go in the name of security and whether there’s enough oversight to prevent such overreach in the future. Stay tuned because this story is far from over!
