WASHINGTON — The Secret Service’s cycle of apology, explanation and promises is back — this time, involving an attempt to embarrass a congressman investigating the shenanigans.

This scandal doesn’t involve booze or women. It revolves around a revelation that scores of Secret Service employees accessed the decade-old, unsuccessful job application of Jason Chaffetz, now a member of Congress, who is chairman of the House Oversight and Government Affairs Committee.

The latest incident turned personal when an assistant director of the Secret Service even suggested leaking embarrassing information to retaliate against the Utah Republican, according to a report by the Homeland Security Department’s inspector general, John Roth.

The actions by the employees could represent criminal violations under the U.S. Privacy Act, according to the IG’s report. “It doesn’t take a lawyer explaining the nuances of the Privacy Act to know that the conduct that occurred here — by dozens of agents in every part of the agency — was wrong,” the report said.