DeSantis considers parallel investigation into alleged assassination attempt

Almost immediately after Ryan Wesley Routh’s arrest, a thorough investigation into the alleged assassination attempt on Donald Trump began, involving the Secret Service, the FBI and the Department of Justice. Two days later, however, the public learned of a separate, parallel investigation.

The New York Times summed up the dynamic aptly:

Just so we’re all clear: It would make perfect sense for the far-right governor to investigate how state and local law enforcement have responded to developments and look for areas where improvements can be made.

But that’s not what DeSantis has in mind. Rather, the Republican suggested that federal authorities cannot be trusted, which is why the state of Florida will launch a parallel investigation to gather its own facts.

“In my opinion, it is not in the best interest of our state or our nation for the same federal agencies that seek to prosecute Donald Trump to be leading this investigation,” DeSantis said at a news conference, suggesting that the pending criminal charges against the former president inevitably call into question the FBI’s ability to investigate Sunday’s events.

The Times report goes on to say: “It is not unusual for state and federal investigators to conduct parallel investigations after a major event – but it is unusual for state leaders to publicly attack federal investigators in the process.”

To make matters worse, DeSantis was not alone: ​​Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah wrote in an online message: “Don’t trust the authorities. Florida should investigate.”

Or to put it another way: Federal politicians are also publicly attacking the investigators. It is a completely unjustified tactic that undermines the public’s trust in their own government.

As for DeSantis’ efforts, former federal prosecutor Dan Gelber told The Bulwark’s Marc Caputo that the governor’s actions could hamper a federal investigation and actually make it more difficult to build a case against the defendant.

“When you have competing agencies investigating, it can affect the entire process and be a wet dream for the defense,” Gelber said. “Turf wars are a thing in law enforcement investigations. They happen all the time. But for a governor to start them is just crazy. … DeSantis is a former federal prosecutor and JAG officer. He should know better. And he should know the law better.”