Prostitute Scandal US Agents Forced To Quit

Three members of the US Secret Service have been forced to leave the agency in a prostitution scandal that has embarrassed President Barack Obama's administration.

The Secret Service did not identify the three agents or eight others it said remain on administrative leave.

In a statement, it said one supervisor was allowed to retire and another will be fired. A third employee, who was not a supervisor, has resigned.

The prostitution scandal, that is alleged to have happened ahead of Mr Obama's visit to Colombia, also involved about 10 military service members and as many as 20 women.

All the Secret Service employees who were involved had their security clearances revoked.

"These are the first steps," said Pete King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, which oversees the Secret Service.

The scandal erupted last week after 11 Secret Service agents were sent home from the city of Cartagena after a night of partying that reportedly ended with at least some of them bringing prostitutes back to their hotel.

The special agents and uniformed officers were in Colombia in advance of Mr Obama's arrival for the Summit of the Americas.

In Washington and Colombia, separate US government investigations are under way.

The incident occurred before Mr Obama arrived and was at a different hotel than the one he stayed in.

Secret Service investigators have interviewed all of the hotel's maids and cleaning ladies, according to reports.

Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential candidate, said: "The right thing to do is to remove people who have violated the public trust and have put their playtime and their personal interests ahead of the interests of the nation."