Louisiana lawmaker accuses FBI of obstruction of justice, destruction of evidence during Trump shooting probe

Representative Clay Higgins (R-LA) is concerned that the FBI botched its investigation into the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump last month.

The Louisiana Republican is a member of the bipartisan task force tasked with investigating the effort to kill Trump. He released a preliminary report based on about 20 hours of investigation into the incident this week.

Higgins said that as he prepared to examine the body of Trump’s would-be assassin to gain insight into the shooting, he was shocked to learn that the FBI released the body 10 days after the shooting and allowed the body to be cremated. The lawmaker is concerned that the FBI allowed vital evidence surrounding the Butler County rally where Trump was shot to be removed.

“The FBI cleaned up biological evidence from the crime scene, which is unheard of,” Higgins wrote. “Cops don’t do that, ever.” On the other hand, the agency said that the “cleanup of the site” was in accordance with “normal procedures”.

The FBI repeatedly insisted it followed “normal procedures” in handling the crime scene and evidence in an email to Washington Examiner.

While Higgins is concerned that the agency’s actions are an “obstruction to any further investigative effort,” the FBI said the decision came after a “detailed effort coordinated with the coroner’s office.”

“The problem with not being able to examine the actual body is that I won’t know 100 percent if the medical examiner’s report and the autopsy report are accurate,” Higgins said.

Higgins also indicated “surprise” in his report that the office quickly cleared the crime scene after three days. “I interviewed several first responders who expressed everything from surprise to dismay to suspicion that the FBI released the crime scene so early,” Higgins noted. The agency claims that “nothing was rushed.”

“The FBI continues its painstaking work on the investigation to develop as complete a picture as possible of what led up to the shooting, and we remain committed to maximum transparency as we continue to inform Congress and release information to the public about the investigation ongoing,” the agency said in a statement.

In addition, Higgins was troubled by the discovery that Secret Service sniper teams were not using vital equipment provided by local law enforcement, even though Butler County police had pressured them to do so.

Pennsylvania State Police made sniper radios available for use at the fateful rally, however Higgins was said to have been unable to pick them up despite local authorities reminding them to do so the day before the event.

The Secret Service’s communications chief did not deny the report in a statement to Action News 4 in Pittsburgh.

“The July 13 inter-agency communications will be reviewed during the US Secret Service’s ongoing assessment of mission assurance. The US Secret Service is committed to investigating the decisions and actions of personnel related to the event in Butler, Pennsylvania and the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump,” said Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

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“The US Secret Service’s assessment of mission assurance is progressing and we are examining the processes, procedures and factors that led to this operational failure. Any identified and substantiated policy violations by our staff will be investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility for disciplinary action. The US Secret Service is committed to holding our personnel accountable to the highest professional standards,” he continued.

The Washington Examiner has reached out to Higgins’ office and the FBI for comment.