House Oversight Committee Requests Information on Trump Rally Shooting

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has formally requested Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to provide information and preserve all documents related to the deadly shooting incident at a Trump campaign rally. Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, seeks clarity on the Secret Service’s management of resources and personnel during the July 13, 2024, rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

In a letter addressed to Cheatle, Comer demanded a comprehensive list of all law enforcement personnel responsible for protecting Donald Trump, the 78-year-old Republican nominee for president. The committee also requested all audio and video recordings possessed by the Secret Service regarding the shooting, as well as any memos or notices issued by Cheatle on the matter.

Comer set a deadline of July 18 for the Secret Service director to provide the requested material, ahead of her expected appearance before the panel on July 22. Additionally, the committee asked for a pre-site survey identifying security concerns, monthly Office of Protective Operations reports, maps and diagrams of the rally site, text messages and communications between Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and any remote surveillance data obtained from drones, remote cameras, and satellites.

Furthermore, Comer instructed Cheatle to preserve all documents and communications related to the Butler, Pennsylvania campaign rally for former President Trump.

Earlier on Monday, Cheatle pledged full participation in an independent review ordered by President Biden, as well as the Oversight Committee’s parallel investigation. Cheatle, the second woman to lead the presidential protection agency, assumed the role in August 2022 after serving 27 years in the Secret Service and holding a senior director position at PepsiCo.

The shooting incident at the rally resulted in Trump sustaining injuries, one rally-goer losing their life, and two others being injured. The perpetrator, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, managed to access a rooftop with a clear sightline to Trump before opening fire. The Secret Service swiftly responded, shooting and killing Crooks after one of his bullets grazed Trump.