WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – An independent panel investigating the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump is calling for fundamental reform of the U.S. Secret Secret in a new report released on Thursday.
The panel of former law enforcement officials said in the report, that the Secret Service is suffering from “deep flaws” after it investigated the near assassination of former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.
The panel uncovered “numerous mistakes,” deeper systemic issues and called for a replacement of the agency’s leaders.
In the review, it identified six failures including the absence of personnel to secure the building where the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired from, the failure to mitigate the line of sight threat posed by the building, communication problems between local police and the Secret Service, the failure of Secret Service to encounter the shooter even though he was spotted 90 minutes before opening fire, the failure of anyone to inform former President Trump’s detail leadership about Crooks and the failure to detect a drone that Crooks used hours before the shooting happened.
The panel recommends replacing Secret Service leaders and shedding some of its responsibilities that are not related to security.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who appointed the panel, said in a statement, “I have reviewed the Independent Review Panel’s report and have met with the Panel members. We will fully consider the Panel’s recommendations and are taking the actions needed to advance the Secret Service’s protection mission.”
Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe also issued a statement after the report was released that said in part, “We respect the work of the Independent Review Panel and will carefully examine the report and recommendations released today… we are developing a comprehensive plan aimed at driving a fundamental transformation within the Secret Service to ensure we are appropriately configured to execute our dual integrated mission of protection and complex investigations.”
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