Senate Homeland Security Government Affairs Committee report details "preventable" Secret Service failures
Report Finds Key Failures by Secret Service in Security Planning, Communications and Coordination -
https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/media/...assination-attempt-on-former-president-trump/
Full Text of the Report is Available
HERE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Ron Johnson, (R-WI), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, released a bipartisan interim report on the U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) security planning, communications and coordination failures that contributed to the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald. J. Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. The interim report includes key findings and recommendations to address those failures and ensure the Secret Service can effectively carry out its protective mission.
“From planning missteps, to the siloed and flawed communication to the lack of effective coordination between law enforcement, to the breakdowns in technology, the Secret Service’s failures that allowed an assassination attempt on former President Trump at his July 13 rally were shocking, unacceptable, and preventable – and they led to tragic consequences,” said Chairman Peters. “Moving forward, our bipartisan interim report makes recommendations for needed reforms to address these serious failures, provide accountability and transparency for the American people, and ensure that the Secret Service has the tools and resources they need to prevent another disaster like this from happening.”
“Our initial findings clearly show a series of multiple failures of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and an inexcusable dereliction of duty,” said Ranking Member Paul. “Not only did USSS fail to ensure the AGR roof was adequately covered, they were also aware of a suspicious individual with a rangefinder for at least 27 minutes and did not delay proceedings or remove former President Trump from the stage, even after being informed that the suspicious individual was on the roof of the AGR building. Someone needs to be held accountable for these egregious failures by the USSS, and despite USSS, DHS, FBI, ATF, and other federal agencies’ continued obstruction of our bipartisan investigation, I will continue to push for answers and accountability.”
“What happened on July 13 was an accumulation of errors that produced a perfect storm of stunning failure,” said Chairman Blumenthal. “It was a tragedy and completely preventable from the outset. There was both a failure to provide resources – like a working radio, drone detection system, or counter surveillance team – and lack of an effective chain of command. Looking forward, we need structural reform in the agency itself. The Secret Service is filled with dedicated and skilled men and women who serve our country at great risk to themselves and personal sacrifice, and they deserve better leadership. Today’s report is only an interim step, and I look forward to our continuing pursuit of evidence to help understand what went so catastrophically wrong and how we can prevent an event like this from ever happening again.”
“Shortly after the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt on former President Trump in Butler, PA, I released preliminary
findingsdetailing some of the significant security failures that occurred on that day,”
said Ranking Member Johnson. “Today’s interim report expands on those security failures, but the investigation is not complete. Federal agencies like the Secret Service, FBI, and DOJ continue to withhold records that are vital to this Committee’s work. There is still much more information that the public and Congress deserve to know. Going forward, this Committee must be prepared to use compulsory process to ensure that the American people have a complete and thorough understanding of the security failures that resulted in the multiple attempts on former President Trump’s life.”
Hawley Goes Public with Details from Conversation with Secret Service Director Rowe: "Stonewalling Must Stop" -
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawle...service-director-rowe-stonewalling-must-stop/
Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)
released the following statements following a phone call he had with Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe earlier today:
- “I just had an extraordinary conversation with Director Rowe at the Secret Service, who called me personally to dispute a whistleblower allegation—but refuses to respond in writing. Just as he has declined to respond substantively to ANY of the whistleblowers’ allegations.
- “Rowe complained about whistleblowers & complained about requests for information based on whistleblower reports. I informed him it is his JOB to provide the facts to the public & Congress. Stonewalling must stop. And I reminded him whistleblowers are *protected under federal law.*
- “I emphasized to Rowe that it is indefensible that his agency has not cooperated fully with congressional investigators – to the point that today the Homeland Security Committee again adopted my legislation to COMPEL Secret Service & DHS to cooperate.
- “The Interim Report today from the Homeland Security Committee details multiple leadership failures at USSS – including evidence that Rowe gave misleading testimony to Congress in July. There must be accountability.”
Today’s conversation with Acting Director Rowe comes after Senator Hawley revealed his latest whistleblower allegation just
yesterday, detailing the Secret Service’s refusal to provide former President Donald Trump with the resources and manpower needed for a rally in Wisconsin—effectively forcing his campaign to cancel the event.
Today the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) also unanimously
passed Senator Hawley’s legislation requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit to HSGAC any and all information in the possession of DHS and the Secret Service pertaining to both the July 13 and September 15 assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump.