Task force on Trump shooting in the House of Representatives requests comprehensive interviews and recordings

The bipartisan House task force investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump intensified its investigation on Wednesday, requesting extensive documents and interviews.

Reps. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Jason Crow (D-Colo.), the chairman and ranking 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 delves into site selection and security planning for Trump’s July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“The Task Force is investigating all actions of all agencies, departments, officials and employees of the federal government, as well as state and local law enforcement agencies, or any other state or local government agency or private entity or individual” related to the attack, Kelly and Crow wrote in their letter Wednesday.

The letter, obtained exclusively by POLITICO ahead of its release, marks the task force’s next step 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 who spoke to reporters during their visit reiterated that they had unanswered questions about security planning and decisions in the immediate lead-up to the shooting.

Lawmakers said these issues would be the focus of the task force’s continued work, and they must submit a report and legislative recommendations based on their findings by mid-December.

The task force is requesting interviews with several Secret Service employees who were either involved in preparing for the July 13 rally or were present that day, including the special agent in charge of the local field office, the special agents in charge of Trump’s security detail, and the agent or agents who were involved in site selection and responsible for 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 details the documents the task force is seeking. For example, Kelly and Crow are requesting details about the site selection process and Secret Service policies for outdoor events, any written security plans for the July 13 rally, and copies of any communications about the site selection, security preparations, and the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

The two lawmakers also want clarity on what work the various Biden administration investigations have done since the shooting. Kelly and Crow requested transcripts of any interviews DHS or Secret Service conducted related to the July 13 rally, as well as a list of any investigations DHS or Secret Service is currently conducting and when they expect to be completed. They also want any briefings or materials already provided to Congress about the July 13 rally.

The task force is one of several investigations into the shooting. The House voted unanimously last month to create the panel, giving it sole authority over all related investigations in the House — although a group of conservatives said this week they would conduct their own probe. Senate committees are also investigating, and the administration is conducting several reviews.

In its document request on Wednesday, the task force also went a bit further, looking beyond Trump and the July 13 rally. It asked for details on the size of the security force for the president, first lady, vice president and Trump. It also wanted details on the planning and communications surrounding First Lady Jill Biden’s July 13 event in Pennsylvania.