But several former Secret Service officials warn that the alleged infiltration of the elite protection agency reveals a major vulnerability extending well beyond this particular case. They said the revelations suggest that agents who had regular access to the White House and the Biden family — and who are supposed to be trained to spot scammers or spies seeking to ingratiate themselves — were either too greedy or gullible to question a dubious cover story.

“If you can compromise Secret Service personnel by cozying up to their agents and their uniformed officers, unwelcome sources can get to the president and the first family,” said Jim Helminski, a retired agency executive and former leader of Joe Biden’s vice-presidential detail…

“The physical protection of the president and vice president is crucial to the functioning of our democracy,” said one former Barack Obama-era agent, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid about Secret Service vulnerabilities. “We have the first minority woman vice president. Both Biden and Harris are polarizing figures. Now we learn people who have access to … [the White House], Harris and Biden can be duped?”