America First Legal Sues Secret Service, DHS Over Concealed Trump Assassination Records

America First Legal (AFL) has launched a lawsuit against the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), accusing the agencies of illegally withholding documents related to an assassination attempt on Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. The lawsuit, filed on September 19, 2024, claims the government has failed to fulfill requests for critical records, raising concerns over a significant security lapse during the event.

The assassination attempt, carried out by 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, saw eight shots fired, one of which grazed Trump’s right ear. Tragically, one attendee, a former fire chief named Corey Comperatore, was killed, while two others were injured. Despite the presence of Secret Service agents, Crooks managed to fire multiple rounds from a rooftop, prompting questions about the agency’s preparedness and response. AFL's lawsuit contends that such failures demand further transparency from DHS and USSS about their internal communications, staffing levels, and security protocols leading up to the event.

The AFL, a nonprofit founded by former Trump adviser Stephen Miller, filed several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests immediately after the attack, seeking documentation about the alleged security breakdown. However, the Secret Service and DHS have yet to release any of the requested materials. According to AFL, these requests should have been expedited given the seriousness of the assassination attempt, yet both agencies denied urgency and refused to process them promptly.

In a public statement, AFL’s executive director, Gene Hamilton, criticized the agencies, saying, “We are committed to obtaining these records so that the American people can see for themselves exactly what senior DHS leadership was prioritizing in its mission and why more resources were not devoted to the protection of President Donald J. Trump." AFL’s lawsuit specifically seeks information on staffing shortages and communications involving key DHS officials, including Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

The lawsuit follows heightened scrutiny over the handling of Trump’s security. Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin voiced frustration, stating, "We don’t have any of the trajectory reports…We don’t even know how they handled the crime scene.” Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut, while not typically an ally of Trump, has expressed anger at the DHS for what he called “stonewalling” during Senate inquiries into the incident. Blumenthal has predicted that once the full extent of the security failures is revealed, Americans will be “shocked” and “appalled.”

Adding to the urgency of AFL's lawsuit, a second apparent assassination attempt was thwarted on September 15, 2024, when a gunman, Ryan Wesley Routh, was found near Trump’s golf course in Florida. Routh, armed with a semiautomatic rifle, had been hiding for 12 hours before Secret Service agents spotted him. AFL has argued that the failure to release records about the first attempt puts Trump at ongoing risk, emphasizing the need for comprehensive accountability and reform within the Secret Service.

Despite the seriousness of these incidents, DHS has maintained that the release of records poses "no threat to the life or safety of anyone" and has continued to withhold the requested information. This stance has sparked bipartisan concern and added pressure on the Biden administration to address the shortcomings in Trump’s protection, as well as the wider implications for presidential security going forward.

AFL's lawsuit aims to shed light on what went wrong and why, ensuring that those responsible for safeguarding the former president are held accountable. As investigations continue, both congressional and public scrutiny of the Secret Service's actions are likely to intensify.

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