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May 20, 2020
Presidential Candidate and Nominating Convention Security
Introduction
Candidate and Nominee Protection
In 1968, Congress authorized U.S. Secret Service (USSS)
Threats to presidential candidates, presidents-elect, and
protection of presidential candidates following the
other USSS protectees typically reflect general threats to
assassination of Democratic Party presidential candidate
the President. For example, fears of kidnapping and
Senator Robert F. Kennedy. At that time, a congressional
assassination threats towards Abraham Lincoln began with
advisory committee (82 Stat. 170) was established to make
his journey to Washington, DC, for the 1861 inauguration.
recommendations to the Secretary of the Treasury on which
The assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy later
candidates should be protected. Threats against Presidents
spotlighted threats to those campaigning for the presidency.
and presidential candidates have a long history in the
The USSS does not provide information on any threats to
United States. Targeted presidential candidates include
protectees or investigations related to threats made against
protectees. The USSS reported that the expenditures for
Theodore Roosevelt, Robert F. Kennedy, George C.
presidential campaign security in FY2016 was $145
Wallace, and Edward Kennedy. Four Presidents have been
million, including both candidate and nominee protection.
assassinated:
This amount is in addition to $100 million Congress
Abraham Lincoln;
appropriated for the 2016 nominating conventions ($50
James A. Garfield;
million each). For the 2020 nominating conventions,
William McKinley; and
Congress also has appropriated $100 million for security
John F. Kennedy (with USSS protection).
(P.L. 116-93).
Presidential candidate security generally includes the detail
The USSS was officially assigned to protect Presidents in
of USSS special agents to protect the candidate and the
1906. Assassination attempts on Presidents with USSS
locations to which the candidate travels. Protection involves
protection include (identified by the USSS):
related security plans and analysis of possible and actual
Harry S. Truman;
threats. According to the USSS, protection of candidates
Richard Nixon;
occurs 24 hours a day until the protection is deemed
Gerald R. Ford;
unnecessary, the candidate ends his or her campaign or does
Ronald Reagan;
not become the nominee, or the nominee does not become
the President-elect. Table 1 lists the candidates and
William J. Clinton;
nominees who received USSS protection between 2000 and
George W. Bush;
2020.
Barack Obama; and
Donald Trump.
Table 1. Candidate and Nominee Protection
2000-2020
The USSS was transferred to the Department of Homeland
Election Year
Nominees
Candidates
Security in 2003. The Secretary of Homeland Security now
has the responsibility of determining which presidential
2000
George W. Bush
Bil Bradley
candidates are protected, following the recommendations of
Al Gore
the advisory committee. The committee includes the
Speaker and minority leader of the House, the Senate
2004
John Kerry
John Edwards
majority and minority leaders, and one additional member
selected by the committee. There are two categories of
2008
Barack Obama
Hil ary Clinton
candidates who receive USSS protection: (1) candidate
John McCain
protectees, who receive protection prior to receiving their
political party’s nomination; and (2) nominee protectee
2012
Mitt Romney
Herman Cain
s,
who receive protection following their party’s nomination.
Rick Santorum
The USSS is statutorily required to protect major
Newt Gingrich
presidential and vice presidential candidates within 120
2016
Donald Trump
Benjamin Carson
days of the general presidential elections, as well as their
spouses (18 U.S.C. Section §3056(a)).This In Focus
Hil ary Clinton
Bernie Sanders
discusses protection of presidential candidates—both before
2020
NA
Joseph Biden
and after the party nominating conventions—and provides
an overview of funding for security operations at the
Source: USSS correspondence with CRS on May 7, 2020.
nominating conventions.
Note: Incumbent Presidents and Vice Presidents receive USSS
protection and are not listed in the table.
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link to page 2 Presidential Candidate and Nominating Convention Security
In March 2020, the House Homeland Security Committee
Sources: P.L. 108-287; P.L. 108-199; P.L. 110-161; 125 Stat. 615; 129
requested that the USSS protect Democratic Party
Stat. 2306-2307; and P.L. 116-93.
presidential candidate Joe Biden, and a USSS spokesperson
confirmed that he was receiving USSS protection. Media
The $100 million Congress appropriated for the 2020
accounts state that this is the result of protesters at the
presidential nominating conventions is primarily to
former Vice President’s campaign events.
reimburse states and localities for law enforcement costs
associated with their participation in securing the
Nominating Convention Security
convention sites. In 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016, the main
Every four years, the two major political parties, and some
security costs that state and local law enforcement entities
third parties, typically select their presidential nominees at
incurred involved overtime payments. State and local law
conventions. These conventions are run by and for the
enforcement personnel participate in securing the
parties, without a formal role for the federal government
convention venue, and also in advance planning,
other than security. Until recently, voluntary taxpayer
conducting liaison for venue and air space security,
designations provided certain financial support to
training, and establishing and maintaining communications.
convention committees that chose to accept public money
through the Presidential Election Campaign Fund (PECF).
The USSS is responsible for planning, coordinating, and
Historically, the PECF provided financial assistance to
implementing security operations at conventions. Congress
publicly financed presidential campaigns, but the PECF was
authorized the USSS—when directed by the President—to
repealed in 2014 via P.L. 113-94. Separately from the
be the lead federal agency for convention security in P.L.
PECF funding, Congress has appropriated funding through
106-544 (the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000).
the Department of Justice (DOJ) for security costs incurred
The conventions are generally designated as National
by state and local governments hosting the conventions.
Special Security Events (NSSEs), which are the purview of
These security funds for the conventions are appropriated to
the USSS. Other NSSEs include such events as presidential
the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), within the
inaugurations, major international summits held in the
Department of Justice (DOJ). This OJP funding,
United States, and some major sporting events.
specifically through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice
Assistance Grant program, has been available for all major
Security costs incurred by the federal government
party conventions in the wake of the September 11, 2001,
associated with the conventions are not paid out of the $100
terrorist attacks (see Table 2).
million appropriated in FY2020. These other federal
security costs are covered by the $145 million appropriated
Table 2. Nominating Convention Security Funding
to the USSS (P.L. 116-93), which includes the USSS
2004-2020
protection of the major presidential candidates whether at
the convention or at other campaign locations. The USSS is
Democratic
also the Lead Federal Agency for security at nominating
Party
Republican Party
conventions, coordinating other federal agencies, such as
Election Year
Convention
Convention
Federal Protective Service law enforcement officers, in
2004
Boston
New York City
securing the convention sites. Federal law enforcement and
security agencies, under USSS operational control, also
$50 mil ion
$50 mil ion
oversee physical security at the convention venue through
2008
Denver
Minneapolis-St. Paul
the positioning of fencing and barricades, as well as the pre-
positioning of federal law enforcement K-9 units and other
$50 mil ion
$50 mil ion
teams such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s
2012
Charlotte
Tampa
Domestic Emergency Support Teams, and Urban Search
$50 mil ion
$50 mil ion
and Rescue Teams.
2016
Philadelphia
Cleveland
$50 mil ion
$50 mil ion
2020
Milwaukee
Charlotte
Shawn Reese, Analyst in Emergency Management and
Homeland Security Policy
$50 mil ion
$50 mil ion
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https://crsreports.congress.gov
Presidential Candidate and Nominating Convention Security
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
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