Trump shooting task force issues extensive requests to DHS, Secret Service

The House task force investigating the assassination attempt against former President Trump issued an extensive request to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Secret Service on Wednesday for documents pertaining to the attack and interviews with Secret Service officials involved with the rally.

In the letters to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Secret Service acting Director Ronald Rowe, task force Chair Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and ranking member Jason Crow (D-Colo.) include six pages of detailed requests.

They gave a short, one-week time frame for production of the documents, with a Sept. 4 deadline.

Documents requested include those related to the Secret Service’s intelligence advance process, the site selection process and security planning for outdoor events, as well as communications between the Secret Service and contractors, DHS employees, and state and local law enforcement.

Kelly and Crow also asked for transcribed interviews with the Secret Service local field office special agent in charge, the special agent in charge of Trump’s protective division, the site agent and lead advance agent for the rally, and various other officials.

In addition to requesting new interviews, the task force asked for all transcripts from interviews already conducted by DHS and the Secret Service related to the July 13 shooting.

Members of the task force on Monday toured the Butler, Pa., site of the rally, where 20-year-old suspected shooter Thomas Crooks fired from a roof at Trump, grazing his ear, killing one rally attendee, and critically injuring two other attendees.

Anthony Guglielmi, U.S. Secret Service chief of communications, said in a statement that the agency “has the highest level of respect for congressional oversight” and “is fully cooperating and will continue to cooperate.”

“Since the attempted assassination of former President Trump, we have provided over 1,000 pages of responsive documentation to Congress and have made our employees available for interviews. Those efforts will continue as our desire to learn from this failure and ensure it never happens again is unwavering. We welcome any and all efforts towards that end,” Guglielmi said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security expressed a similar sentiment in a statement.

“DHS remains committed to working with the appropriate and relevant investigations into July 13th, including with the Congressional Task Force, to identify how this happened and how to prevent it from happening again. The Department responds to congressional requests directly via official channels and will continue to do so,” a DHS spokesperson said.

Rebecca Beitsch contributed.