Legal/Law/Criminal Justice and Reform

DHS, Secret Service Sued For Refusing To Release Trump Assassination Attempt Documents

America First Legal (AFL) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday for allegedly concealing government documents in relation to the July 13 assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump.

AFL alleges that the DHS and the USSS blocked requests to obtain information about staffing shortages, employment standards and communications between department officials that related to the assassination attempt in Butler County, Pennsylvania. The AFL claims that it has not yet received any of the records and has accused the DHS and USSS of “illegally concealing” documents despite requesting and meeting all standards for expedited processing.

“On July 13, the American people watched in horror as a lunatic attempted to assassinate former President, and current candidate for President, Donald Trump,” Gene Hamilton, executive director of AFL, said in a press release. “Today, there is widespread and bipartisan acknowledgment that there were catastrophic failures that tragic day and in the weeks and months ahead of it. 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.”

The USSS allegedly told the AFL in July that they would not process their Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request because “there was no threat to life or safety of anyone” and that “there was no urgency to inform the public about government activity,” according to the press release. However, AFL noted that the USSS had previously granted their request for expedited processing for another similar request.

“I am reaching the point of total outrage because the response from the Department of Homeland Security has been totally lacking,” Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said on Monday. “In fact, I think it’s tantamount to stonewalling in many respects. The Department of Homeland Security has to be more forthcoming, not only to me, but to the American people.”

The AFL’s information requests came after 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to fire shots at and injure the former president during a rally from a rooftop positioned just 130 yards from the stage, sparking numerous investigations into the security lapses that took place. Leading up to the shooting, Crooks was spotted by witnesses, flagged by the Secret Service and identified by a counter sniper over an hour before Trump stepped onto the stage.

“The American people and Congress need total transparency,” the press release reads.

The USSS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. The DHS declined to comment.