NEW DELHI: The US House Oversight and Accountability Committee has subpoenaed Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle to testify at a hearing on the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. This comes after a gunman opened fire at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, injuring the former president and killing one attendee while critically wounding two others.
The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general has launched an investigation into the Secret Service’s handling of security at the rally where the assassination attempt occurred.
The probe aims to “Evaluate the United States Secret Service’s (Secret Service) process for securing former President Trump’s July 13, 2024 campaign event.”
This investigation was initiated after questions arose about how the 20-year-old shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was able to access a rooftop with a clear line of sight to the former president despite heightened security measures due to a threat from Iran.
President Joe Biden has already directed an independent review of the security arrangements at the rally.
Cheatle has assured full cooperation with both the inspector general’s investigation and the congressional inquiries into the shooting incident.
She has stated that the agency is working to understand how the attack happened and to ensure such an incident never occurs again.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee, led by Republican Chairman James Comer, has subpoenaed Director Cheatle to compel her testimony at a hearing scheduled for July 22.
This hearing will be the first by Congress to examine the details surrounding the attempted assassination of the former president.
The Secret Service has agreed to provide information to lawmakers, although the Department of Homeland Security has taken control of communications with the committee, creating some uncertainty about the timing of the briefing.
In response to the attack, the House and Senate Homeland Security Committees have also announced plans to investigate the matter further.
Representative Mark Green, the head of the House Homeland Security Panel, has invited Secretary of Homeland Security Mayork, FBI Director Wray, and Director Cheatle to testify before lawmakers next week to delve into the specifics of the incident.
The attempted assassination of a former president has raised serious concerns about the Secret Service’s ability to protect high-profile individuals, and the upcoming hearings will aim to uncover the details of the security failures and ensure such breaches do not happen again in the future.
The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general has launched an investigation into the Secret Service’s handling of security at the rally where the assassination attempt occurred.
The probe aims to “Evaluate the United States Secret Service’s (Secret Service) process for securing former President Trump’s July 13, 2024 campaign event.”
This investigation was initiated after questions arose about how the 20-year-old shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was able to access a rooftop with a clear line of sight to the former president despite heightened security measures due to a threat from Iran.
President Joe Biden has already directed an independent review of the security arrangements at the rally.
Cheatle has assured full cooperation with both the inspector general’s investigation and the congressional inquiries into the shooting incident.
She has stated that the agency is working to understand how the attack happened and to ensure such an incident never occurs again.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee, led by Republican Chairman James Comer, has subpoenaed Director Cheatle to compel her testimony at a hearing scheduled for July 22.
This hearing will be the first by Congress to examine the details surrounding the attempted assassination of the former president.
The Secret Service has agreed to provide information to lawmakers, although the Department of Homeland Security has taken control of communications with the committee, creating some uncertainty about the timing of the briefing.
In response to the attack, the House and Senate Homeland Security Committees have also announced plans to investigate the matter further.
Representative Mark Green, the head of the House Homeland Security Panel, has invited Secretary of Homeland Security Mayork, FBI Director Wray, and Director Cheatle to testify before lawmakers next week to delve into the specifics of the incident.
The attempted assassination of a former president has raised serious concerns about the Secret Service’s ability to protect high-profile individuals, and the upcoming hearings will aim to uncover the details of the security failures and ensure such breaches do not happen again in the future.