The congressional task force investigating the July and September assassination attempts on President-elect Donald Trump has accused the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) of obstructing its efforts.
On Monday, the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump issued subpoenas demanding testimony from ATF employees after the agency allegedly failed to respond to multiple requests for documents and information, according to a news release.
“For weeks, ATF had not produced any requested documents or made any personnel available for interviews with the Task Force. However, less than one hour after the Task Force served its subpoenas yesterday for depositions, ATF made its first set of documents available to the Task Force,” the release stated.
The subpoenas include one for an agent involved in the ATF’s response to the July 13 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. During the attack, Trump was grazed by a bullet to his right ear, while two rally attendees were injured, and one was fatally shot. Another subpoena seeks testimony from a supervisory agent, according to the task force.
Task force Chairman Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Ranking Member Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., noted in letters that previous requests for documents and interviews, sent on Oct. 3 and Nov. 6, went unanswered. “The Task Force specifically outlined seventeen requests for document production, even going so far as to note which were the priority items. In addition, the Task Force identified three categories of requests for transcribed interviews with relevant ATF agents,” the letter explained.
The task force described the ATF’s initial response on October 22 as insufficient and delayed. The submission arrived five days past deadline and consisted of fewer than five pages, largely summary narratives. To date, the ATF has failed to provide any requested documents or make personnel available for interviews.
Among the information sought by the task force are documents and materials related to the ATF’s critical incident response on July 13, including details of the discovery and investigation of an improvised explosive device at the home of suspect Matthew Crooks, and efforts to locate and investigate Crooks’ vehicle.
Authorities are still investigating Crooks’ motives for the July attack at Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, where he used an AR-15 rifle. Although Crooks’ shot narrowly missed a fatal strike on Trump, it did graze his ear. He also fatally shot rally attendee Corey Comperatore and critically injured two others, David Dutch and James Copenhaver.
Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Green Beret and member of the bipartisan 13-member House task force, previously revealed that Crooks maintained multiple encrypted accounts on platforms based in Belgium, New Zealand, and Germany. Investigators are still trying to understand the purpose of these accounts.
In a separate investigation, the task force is examining the motives behind the September assassination attempt by suspect Ryan Routh, who allegedly pointed a rifle at Trump outside Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
