What caused the federal government to form the Secret Service and then later the FBI, when they already had the US Marshals? Why couldn't they just expand their numbers instead of startingagencies?ncies

by riverfan
HittingSmoke

As for the Secret Service specifically it was to combat a very serious problem with a focused approach. The Secret Service was not originally founded to protect the president. Their purpose was to protect the value of US currency by targeting counterfeiters. They were quite effective.

http://clinton2.nara.gov/WH/kids/inside/html/spring98-2.html