Secret Service Prostitution Scandal Grows
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening, everyone. It's 10:00 here on the East Coast. And we begin tonight with breaking news in the Secret Service prostitution scandal. We've now got a face to go with it. This is the Colombian prostitute -- she calls herself an escort -- at the center of it all. She's the one who says she confronted a Secret Service agent over her fee after a night of sex at the Cartagena hotel. That quarrel over the price of her services has now landed two dozens Secret Services members and military personnel in trouble. It is 24 now. That's a -- because a 12th military member is under investigation. He was part of a group that provides the White House with secure communications when the president travels. Six Secret Services members have been forced out of the agency. More departures could be on the way. All starting with an argument in the hallway of a hotel in Cartagena, Colombia. And that's where we find CNN's Drew Griffin now. Drew, we're now seeing this woman. You've been down there all weekend. What have you learned? What's the latest?</s>DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: This woman, her name is Dania Suarez, 24 years old, Anderson. Single mother of a young son. The young son goes to school. She herself goes to English-speaking class. We went to the apartment where she lives. It's down a dirt alley, but it's a middle class neighborhood, a gated community. Her neighbors were -- quite frankly they were stunned that this was the woman involved with this scandal. They called her a model citizen of her gated community and had no idea actually how she made a living. But they do say that this woman that they saw in their local newspaper is the woman who lived in the apartment. A couple of days ago somebody came to that apartment, removed some suitcases. She has not been seen at her home since this news broke -- Anderson.</s>COOPER: What do we know about what took place that night?</s>GRIFFIN: There's rumors flying all over Cartagena. And that's because there's been no official explanation from the police here, no police report that we could get our hands on. So we are getting our information from hotel security staff, one member of the staff, and a cab driver. Both of them would not go on camera. The cab driver says that he is the one who drove Dania Suarez back to that apartment we just showed you after this event. He says that what she re-laid to him was that there was this dispute in the hotel. She was locked out of the hotel room after this man would not pay either the money she was asking or any money. She had police intervened, Colombian Police, in that hallway trying to reach some sort of settlement. And it was during this negotiation period that other Secret Service agents came out of their rooms, pooled their money together, and gave this money to the woman, enough to basically get rid of her. The agent who hired her, I guess you would have to say, would not come out of that room. So that is how this whole thing began. It was just an argument over pay. She did not get what she wanted and she demanded payment.</s>COOPER: There's also now reports she's trying to sell her story. Is that true?</s>GRIFFIN: Reports only. We've been trying to reach her attorney, his name is Marlon Betancourt. He has not been answering his calls. We know that he is the attorney from associates in his office. They wouldn't confirm or deny that she is trying to sell it. Rumor is -- well, there's speculation anywhere from $40,000 to $25,000 is being asked. But again we have not had any direct contact with either woman, Ms. Suarez, or her attorney involved in this so we can't confirm that for sure -- Anderson.</s>COOPER: And how common is prostitution in Cartagena?</s>GRIFFIN: It's known for it, quite frankly. The sex tourist trade here is very popular. And I can tell you just from being here the last three or four days, if you walk anywhere at night near a nightclub or in the old city where a lot of these nightclubs are, you're going to be approached just about on every corner, a young man asking you if you're looking for a chica, if you're looking for girls, and pointing you to backdoors here and there in the old city where you could find what you're looking for is what they have told us. We also know that a lot of single scantily clad women hang out in the discotheque to Candela where these Secret Service men were partying. It's very common here. Not shocking at all to the Colombians that Americans were looking for and finding sex. What's shocking to Colombians, quite frankly, Anderson, is what's shocking to the U.S. is that these men assigned to protect the president of the United States were out bringing carousing and bringing prostitutes back to their hotel room just before the president's arrival? Possibly opening the door for a security breach. The White House insists there was no security breach. But certainly opened door for that possibility.</s>COOPER: And then to argue over a price, I mean, it just seems so monumentally stupid at the very least.</s>GRIFFIN: It would be nice to get the facts of what the price was. We've heard that she was, quote-unquote, going to charge $800. That seems like an outrageous price. The going rate here is anywhere from $100 to $200. I'm beginning to wonder if there was a communication error. But certainly it's going to be hard to understand or have this Secret Service agent, once he's identified, explain to not only his family and his friends but the other Secret Service agents that were involved, just what the heck were you thinking when you decided you weren't going to pay this woman?</s>COOPER: Drew, appreciate the reporting. Thanks. A shocker today in the Trayvon Martin case. Late this afternoon just hours after the city of Sanford announced a separation agreement with the police chief, Bill Lee, that included his offer to resign, Sanford City Commission voted to not accept it. Now, this is the same city commissioner, remember, that recently voted no confidence in the handling of the investigation. Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplet called for an outside investigation saying he's neither ready for the chief, Chief Lee, to return nor ready to show him the door. Now others were more outspoken.</s>PATTY MAHANY, SANFORD, FLORIDA CITY COMMISSIONER: Chief Lee is paying for the sins of past police officers. His police chiefs. He has been here --</s>MAHANY: He has been in office 10 months. How do you steer a boat that big, Mr. Mayor? How do you steer a boat in 10 months to a complete turnaround? You don't.</s>COOPER: City Commissioner Mahany also saying -- quote -- "I do not feel that Sanford needs healing." And quote, "You think I'm a racist? Bring it on," end quote. Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump had this to say -- quote -- "If Chief Bill Lee recognized that his resignation would help the start of healing process in the Sanford, city leadership should have accepted it in an effort to move the city forward." Now all of this on a day that began at 12: 05 a. m. with the shooter George Zimmerman making bail leaving the Seminole County Jail. That's him on the left, obviously. He was wearing a bulletproof vest, accompanied by his bail bondsman. Their destination obviously unknown. This could be the last we see of George Zimmerman for awhile. His attorney today entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. I spoke with Mark O'Mara late this afternoon.</s>COOPER: So, Mark, your client was released after making bail around midnight last night. How is he doing?</s>MARK O'MARA, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S ATTORNEY: He's doing well. He's very glad to be out. Trying to get settled in, still worried about his safety, but, you know, talking to his family and feeling much better than being in.</s>COOPER: There were reports he'd received death threats, that he was wearing even a bulletproof vest as he -- as he left the jail. It looks like he's wearing a vest. Can you confirm that?</s>O'MARA: He was. He was wearing a bulletproof vest and he has received threats through the Internet. There's been a lot of chatter lately about his release. And that's concerning him and us.</s>COOPER: Is he under police protection now?</s>O'MARA: Actually, no. Police protected him while he was in jail. While in Seminole County. But he's sort of on his own with his own protection at this point.</s>COOPER: So I obviously can't reveal where he is nor would you, can you say if he is in the state of Florida and if he plans to remain in the state?</s>O'MARA: Really couldn't say. We have actually several locations that we're going to be sort of moving him from just to make sure that we maintain his safety and security.</s>COOPER: And how is that being paid for? Is that money raised from the Web site that he set up? Or -- how is that being paid for?</s>O'MARA: Actually, that's from the family. We've not raised any money or at least I haven't removed any money from whatever accounts are out there. We really haven't gained control of them yet. Will at some point take the time to do that. But whatever money may be it still is.</s>COOPER: Do you know how much money has been raised by that Web site he set up?</s>O'MARA: I got a note from somebody who seems to have control over one that says there was $700 or $800 in it. I have heard from another that's a couple of thousand dollars in one. I don't know who's monitoring them or who's handling them or if anyone is taking any money out. I don't think so, but just haven't taken that on yet with everything else that's going on.</s>COOPER: And how are you communicating with him? Are you -- in person or over the phone?</s>O'MARA: Over the phone. He's not here.</s>COOPER: Right. During his bond hearing on Friday, Zimmerman apologized to the Martin family. I spoke to some of the -- to Benjamin Crump that night, Martin family attorney, who called the apology self-serving. Whose idea was it to apologize?</s>O'MARA: Yes. Well, it was George's idea to want to apologize. I tried to coordinate it. I communicated with the family a couple of times to say that he wanted to do it privately and confidentially. Those communications weren't responded to directly so I was a bit frustrated. I now understand better the Martin family position which is that I guess there was a press release within which they said they didn't want to have the apology now. I was never made aware of that. I think it was Thursday night. By the time Friday came around, we made the final decision to have him do the apology. Had I known, had George known the family would not have accepted it or didn't want it, we never would have done it. The suggestion that it was, you know, to get a bond just isn't accurate. We were getting a bond with or without the apology. It was done solely upon the request of mom, Ms. Fulton, in a previous appearance she had made.</s>COOPER: A number of legal analysts who watched the proceedings on Friday were very critical of the prosecution and their performance. In fact, Mark Geragos on my program called it abysmal. I just want to play some of -- something from last week's hearing for our viewers.</s>O'MARA: Do you know who started the fight?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do I know?</s>O'MARA: Right.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.</s>O'MARA: Do you have any evidence that supports who may have started the fight?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.</s>COOPER: I think a lot of people were surprised that the prosecution's investigator has no idea who started the altercation. Do you think the prosecution came off as unprepared?</s>O'MARA: Well, it was a bit unique to handle a bond motion in this way, to in effect turn it into somewhat of a discovery process. So in one sense, they may not have been prepared for examination. On the other hand he is the agent so he would know the case seemingly as best as anyone. And I think he was telling the truth. I think today they have no evidence as to who started the fight. And no evidence to contradict George's position that he was going back towards the car. And those are two very, very relevant facts in this case particularly with the second-degree murder charge.</s>COOPER: After what you saw the prosecution on Friday, are you more confident, or less confident, or about the same in your case?</s>O'MARA: I'm going to be very conservative. And I'm no more or less confident, I guess the same. They have not shown me their discovery. I'm sure they have a lot more than I was able to sort of glean from the examination of the investigator. So there's a lot more to go through.</s>COOPER: Mark O'Mara, appreciate you being with us. Thank you.</s>O'MARA: Sure thing.</s>COOPER: Well, let us know what you think about the case. We're on Facebook, Google+, you can follow me on Twitter @AndersonCooper. Be tweeting in the hour ahead. Also tonight, the White House saying it is out of bounds, but the issue of Mitt Romney's Mormon family heritage is raised by a leading Democratic governor. Romney's faith itself is questioned by students at a conservative Christian university. We'll take you to Mexico for the true story of Romney's ancestry and we'll talk with the governor who brought it up next.