Mind-boggling

This is downright astonishing, when you think about it:

A security contractor with a gun and three convictions for assault and battery was allowed on an elevator with President Obama during a Sept. 16 trip to Atlanta, violating Secret Service protocols, according to three people familiar with the incident.

Obama was not told about the lapse in his security, these people said. The Secret Service director, Julia Pierson, asked a top agency manager to look into the matter but did not refer it to an investigative unit that was created to review violations of protocol and standards, according to two people familiar with the handling of the case who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The Secret Service does many things, but job one is keeping the president safe. This raises an important question:

The recent security breaches are bad enough, but the hiding of bad news is equally troubling. Julia Pierson needs to be gone.