Rep. Clay Higgins has expressed serious concerns about the FBI’s handling of the investigation into the attempted assassination of President Trump, revealing that he was unable to inspect the body of the 20-year-old suspect before it was sent for cremation.
In a preliminary investigation report, Higgins disclosed that when he attempted to examine the body, it was already “gone,” having been released for cremation or burial. He stated that while the Butler County Coroner technically had authority over the body, the coroner would not have released it without explicit permission from the FBI.
“This action by the FBI can only be described by any reasonable man as an obstruction to any following investigative effort,” Higgins wrote, comparing it to the FBI’s earlier decision to release and scrub the crime scene.
Higgins emphasized that without examining the body himself, he could not be completely certain of the accuracy of the coroner’s report and autopsy findings. “We'll get the reports and pictures, but I will not ever be able to say with certainty that those reports and pictures are accurate according to my own examination of the body,” he noted.
Higgins submitted his report to Rep. Mike Kelly, the chairman of the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump, on August 12, 2024. The report, described as “not exhaustive, nor final,” details Higgins' findings from his investigation in Butler, PA, earlier that month.
The report includes several notable observations, including:
– The U.S. Secret Service did not retrieve radios set aside for them by Butler County tactical command, despite the radios being properly arranged during pre-mission planning.
– All eight shell casings from the suspect’s shots were recovered and are reportedly in FBI custody.
– A ninth shot, fired by a Butler SWAT operator, struck the suspect’s rifle stock, causing shrapnel injuries to his face, neck, and shoulder.
– The tenth and final shot was fired by the southern counter-sniper team.
– Higgins' attempt to examine the suspect's body on August 5 revealed that the FBI had released the body for cremation just 10 days after the incident.
– A water tower near the scene was cleared by drone the morning of the incident by the County tactical commander.
Higgins stated that the release of his preliminary report reflects his commitment to transparency and his desire to provide reassurance to the American people. “Every question will be answered, every theory explored, and every doubt erased. The American people deserve the full truth.” he asserted.
Read the preliminary report here.
