Benjamin Kail
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
(TNS)
Sep. 9—WASHINGTON — The House task force investigating the July 13 attempt on Donald Trump’s life in Butler asked the Pennsylvania State police for a bevy of critical records and updates on Monday, broadening the scope of an already expansive inquiry into what experts have described as the worst security failure in decades.
The 13-member bipartisan group asked the state police to provide planning and operational documents, transcripts of interviews with officials and witnesses, state trooper body camera and squad car footage, and “any communications” on the rally and shooting, both internal and with other agencies.
The task force chairman, Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler, and ranking member Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., wrote to Pennsylvania State police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris to request the records, the lawmakers’ offices said Monday. They gave the state police a deadline of Sept 16.
“The letter to Pennsylvania State Police seeks all documents and communications related to the Trump rally held on July 13, 2024, including the planning, participation and post-event actions and correspondence,” the congressmen wrote. “The Task Force is also seeking documents and information relevant to any ongoing or completed criminal inquiries, investigations or reports that have been completed by Pennsylvania State Police related to the attempted assassination.”
The task force’s latest request comes less than a week after the group sought similar records and interviews with Butler County and Beaver County officers who were at the Butler site during the rally.
Several task force members visited the site late last month, while at the same time a handful of House Republicans with military backgrounds who were not tapped for the bipartisan group are conducting an independent inquiry that has featured suggestions of criminal negligence or a conspiracy.
Commissioner Paris testified before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security just 10 days after the shooting. He revealed that the Secret Service — unlike the 20-year-old gunman — did not use drones prior to the rally even though state police had drones available. And he highlighted communications challenges between the agencies at the scene, prompting lawmakers to express frustration — primarily with the Secret Service — over potential security lapses.
Commissioner Paris told the Post-Gazette after his testimony that he could not speak to the timeline for state police’s two active investigations — one in concert with Secret Service on the homicide (of former firefighter Corey Comperatore) and attempted homicide during the rally, and the other an officer-involved shooting inquiry regarding the counter-sniper who shot and killed the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Among the task force’s more than dozen listed requests Monday were “all PSP use of force and/or officer involved shooting inquiries, investigations and/or reports.”
The group also asked state police for “any written policies relevant to the July 13 event” and “any operational plans or other materials prepared.”
State police played a supporting role to the U.S. Secret Service along with local law enforcement on the day of the rally.
The Secret Service requested 32 state police personnel, including troopers helping the former president’s motorcade, manning security posts within the secure perimeter, and two marked cars with uniformed troopers outside the perimeter to respond to events as incidents occurred, Commissioner Paris said.
The task force plans to release a report on its findings in December.
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