Senators are now accusing the Secret Service of attempting to position local law enforcement as “a scapegoat” for the shooting that occurred during the Trump rally, following testimony from its acting director regarding the failure to identify gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks in advance, in Butler, Pennsylvania.
During his testimony before Congress on Tuesday, Ronald Rowe seemed to suggest that local police were at fault for not noticing Crooks atop the building from which he eventually fired. However, on Wednesday, Butler County’s district attorney refuted Rowe’s claims, stating that local snipers were not tasked with monitoring that rooftop area.
“It seems they’re looking for someone to blame,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., in remarks to The Washington Times after Rowe’s testimony.
“There’s a definite vibe of CYA [cover your a–] here,” remarked Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.
BUTLER DISTRICT ATTORNEY STATES LOCAL SNIPERS WERE NOT ASSIGNED TO ROOFTOP SHOOTER’S LOCATION
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe testifies to senators on Tuesday, July 30, about security at the Trump rally shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
As part of his testimony, Rowe presented senators with a photograph of the roof where Crooks climbed before shooting at former President Trump.
“This image is from the building’s second floor. This is the perspective where the local counter sniper team was stationed,” he stated. “The gold arrow marks the location where the shooter opened fire. Looking left, why was the assailant not spotted? We were informed that the building would be covered, that there had been a face-to-face meeting that afternoon, and that our team leads had convened.”
Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger disclosed to Fox News the following day that he coordinated the local snipers at the July 13 rally, assigning them to a location with a different line of sight than the one Rowe referenced during his testimony.
Goldinger emphasized that monitoring the roof of the AGR building, where Crooks situated himself and fired, was beyond the scope of the local snipers’ duties.
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Two FBI agents inspect the roof of AGR International Inc, the building next to the Butler Fairgrounds, from which Matthew Thomas Crooks shot at former President Trump on July 13. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
Hawley conveyed to The Washington Times that he has received various accounts from whistleblowers on both sides and remarked that “there’s a lot of finger-pointing.”
“What I heard the other day suggested a lot of discussion about who’s genuinely at fault, with statements like, ‘It’s really not us; it wasn’t that serious,'” said Hawley on Wednesday, reflecting on Rowe’s testimony.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., mentioned to The Washington Times that “the Secret Service blaming local law enforcement is not just unjust, but also unwise.”
“They’ll face challenges in gaining cooperation from local police if they continue to make them the scapegoat whenever things go awry,” he reportedly added.
Meanwhile, Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., indicated he would reserve final judgment until the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which he chairs, speaks with all individuals involved in the rally incident, according to The Washington Times.
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe’s testimony is under scrutiny from both senators and local officials in Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
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“At this point, it seems clear that the Secret Service should have recognized the strategic significance of that rooftop in terms of potential threats,” he was quoted as saying.
Fox News’ Christina Coulter and CB Cotton contributed to this report.
