The bipartisan House task force on the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump made its first official moves on Monday with letters to the agencies involved in investigating the shooting at the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally last month.
“The Task Force requests all documents and information that have been produced to date, to any committee of the House or Senate related to the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump,” Task force chair Mike Kelly (R-PA) and ranking member Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Secret Service acting Director Ron Rowe.
The panel also requested a staff briefing no later than Aug. 16 from DOJ and DHS “to discuss the Task Force’s priorities with respect to documents and information moving forward.”
Before the task force was formed, several House committees already began probing the security failures leading up to and during the July 13 rally, which allowed a gunman to position himself on a roof only 150 yards from Trump. Kelly and Crow said the task force is now taking the lead on investigative efforts in the House, and all information going forward should be given directly to the body.
For Republicans, it’s an opportunity to put a high-profile spotlight on an issue that is deeply personal to Trump. And Democrats, who strategically decided to participate in the task force, will have a key window into the work.
While Republicans have ultimate control over the direction of the probe given the partisan 7-6 split on the committee among Republicans and Democrats, Kelly and Crow are sending a strong signal that they anticipate working in lockstep with one another. [...]
Kelly, whose district includes Butler, also wants to schedule a site visit for task force members, though the timing is still being worked out and may need to wait until after the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week. (Punchbowl News)
While most of the task force's work will take place out of the public's eye, Kelly said there will likely be some hearings to highlights findings. The task force has until Dec. 13 to publish a final report, which will include recommendations for legislative reforms.
