Cockell Back On Security Detail
Secret Service agent Larry Cockell, head of President Clinton's security detail, is back to work after testifying in the Monica Lewinsky investigation.
Cockell, the man who is always just a step behind the president, accompanied Mr. Clinton on an outing Tuesday night to the National Council of Senior Citizens conference at a Washington hotel.
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It was Cockell's proximity to the president that interested independent counsel Kenneth Starr, and set up a fight lost by the White House in court over whether agents can be compelled to testify.
There was some question later whether Cockell, who stepped aside for two weeks, would get his job back after having his low-profile face splashed on TV, but the expectation was that he would.
"It really is a matter exclusively for the Secret Service, although, in candor, we have publicly indicated that we have high regard for him and we look forward to his return to the detail," Clinton spokesman Mike McCurry said before Cockell returned.
Cockell, 47, is a former St. Louis police officer, a 17-year veteran of the Secret Service, and the first black man to lead the president's protective detail. Brian Stafford, former head of the detail, took Cockell's place until his return.
The extent to which agents prefer to blend in was obvious a few months ago when Mr. Clinton attended a graduation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cockell appeared on the stage, seated behind the president and wearing a cap and gown, a departure from the usual dark suit.