UNDATED (CBS) -- Lawmakers pressed the head of the Secret Service about whether there is a culture of misconduct at his agency. Last month twelve agents were implicated in a prostitution scandal ahead of the President's trip to Colombia.
Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan walked into the Senate Hearing room to answer for the Colombian prostitution scandal. He says, "I am deeply disappointed and apologize the action of these employees and the distraction it has caused."
The hearing comes as some of the agents told the Washington Post they're being made scapegoats for behavior supervisors knew about and tolerated.
Senator Susan Collins pointed out the agents involved registered the women at the hotel using their own names.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine says, "That suggests to me they weren't worried about getting caught. They did not think there would be consequences if they were caught."
Sullivan says, "I think between the alcohol and the environment, these individuals did some really dumb things."
Both Republicans and Democrats on the committee expressed support for Director Sullivan, but they are still not aren't convinced Colombia was an isolated incident.
The Washington Post reports four of the agents that were fired or resigned are now seeking to get their jobs back. Sullivan says, "Our numbers contradict what was in The Washington Post article, we had two employees that said they were originally going to resign, that have now come back and say they are going to challenge that."
Director Sullivan said the agency will work to permanently revoke security clearance for those two agents.
The inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security also testified at today's hearing. He assured the committee his department will conduct its own independent investigation of the Secret Service.