Snap hires former head of the Secret Service

The current head of the United States Secret Service, James Murray (pictured), will leave his role to head up security at Snap. Murray, who joined the Secret Service in 1995 and assumed the mantle of director in April 2019, will step down on July 30th. The Washington Post reports that Murray was looking to retire from public service for some time, and that his departure is unrelated to any recent scandals. The Verge reports that Murray will start at Snapchat on August 1st, working on employee protection and acting as a liaison with law enforcement when necessary.

The Secret Service has come under fresh scrutiny in recent years after a number of high-profile incidents dulled some of its reputation. This includes a series of security breaches during President Obama’s tenure, agents soliciting sex workers while on duty. Politico reports that Murray’s decision to allow service agent Anthony Ornato to take a role as White House political advisor to the previous administration was problematic for a body that is meant to be above politics.