House Trump shooting task force makes sweeping interview and records requests

The bipartisan House task force investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump ramped up its probe on Wednesday — making a sweeping request for records and interviews.

Reps. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Jason Crow (D-Colo.), the chair and top Democrat on the panel, respectively, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. as the panel digs into the site selection and security planning for Trump’s July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“The Task Force is investigating all actions by any agency, Department, officer, or employee of the federal government, as well as State and local law enforcement or any other State or local government or private entities or individuals” related to the assassination attempt, Kelly and Crow wrote in Wednesday’s letter.

The letter, which was obtained exclusively by POLITICO ahead of its release, marks the next step for the task force after Kelly, Crow and other members visited the site of the July 13 rally and met with local law enforcement earlier this week. Several members of the group, speaking to reporters during their visit, reiterated that they had unanswered questions about the security planning and decisions in the immediate lead up to the shooting.

Lawmakers indicated those issues would be a top focus as the task force moves forward. They have a mid-December deadline for issuing a report and legislative recommendations based on their findings.

The task force is asking for interviews with several Secret Service personnel who were either involved in preparation for the July 13 rally or were present that day, including the local field office special agent in charge, the special agents in charge of Trump’s protective detail and the agent, or agents, involved in the site selection and responsible for the overall security plans. In addition to interview requests, they also want a list of anyone placed on leave because of the shooting.

The letter also extensively describes documents that the task force is looking for, with Kelly and Crow asking for details related to the site selection process and Secret Service guidance for outdoor events, any written security plan for the July 13 rally, as well as copies of any communication about the site selection, security preparation and the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

The two lawmakers are also seeking clarity on what work the Biden administration’s various investigations have done since the shooting. Kelly and Crow requested transcripts of any interviews conducted by DHS or Secret Service related to the July 13 rally and a list of all investigations DHS or Secret Service are currently running and when they expect to wrap. They also want any briefings or materials already given to Congress about the July 13 rally.

The task force is one of several investigations into the shooting. The House unanimously voted to establish the panel last month and give it superseding authority over any related investigation in the chamber — though a group of conservatives said this week that they will run their own probe. Senate committees are also investigating and the administration is conducting several reviews.

As part of its document request on Wednesday, the task force also took a slightly broader sweep beyond just Trump and the July 13 rally, asking for details on the size of the protective details for the president, first lady, vice president and Trump. They also want details on the planning and communications around first lady Jill Biden’s July 13 event in Pennsylvania.