America First Legal (AFL) has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for allegedly concealing records related to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania in July 2024.
On July 16, 2024, AFL launched a series of investigations seeking information about the federal government’s actions before, during, and after the attempted assassination on July 13, 2024. Their requests for documents included records on potential staffing shortages within the USSS, hiring and employment standards, communications from key DHS officials, and calendars from top officials in the Secret Service.
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Despite requesting expedited processing, AFL has not received any of the records it requested. The Secret Service initially denied AFL’s request for expedited processing regarding staffing shortages, claiming there was no immediate threat to anyone’s safety or urgency to inform the public about government activity.
However, the Secret Service did grant expedited processing for another request that used the same justifications, raising concerns about inconsistent treatment.
Senators from both parties have voiced frustration over the lack of transparency. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) expressed outrage, accusing DHS of “stonewalling,” while Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) pointed to a whistleblower report that highlighted significant failures within the Secret Service related to the assassination attempt. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) also criticized the lack of key information, such as toxicology and trajectory reports, and questioned how the crime scene was handled.
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AFL’s lawsuit comes just days after another assassination attempt on Trump in Florida, underscoring the need for transparency and better security measures. The organization argues that public access to these records will ensure that USSS and DHS leadership are adequately trained and staffed to protect Trump.
“On July 13, the American people watched in horror as a lunatic attempted to assassinate former President, and current candidate for President, Donald Trump. Today, there is widespread and bipartisan acknowledgment that there were catastrophic failures that tragic day and in the weeks and months ahead of it. We are committed to obtaining these records so that the American people can see for themselves exactly what senior DHS leadership was prioritizing in its mission and why more resources were not devoted to the protection of President Donald J. Trump,” said Gene Hamilton, America First Legal Executive Director.
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