WASHINGTON, D.C. (LOOTPRESS) – A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals that the U.S. Secret Service received classified intelligence about a threat to President Donald Trump’s life 10 days before the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, but failed to share that information with the federal and local law enforcement agencies responsible for securing the event.
The 98-page report, commissioned by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, outlines “gaps in policy and threat information sharing” that led to the security breakdown during the rally, where Trump was struck in the ear and supporter Corey Comperatore was killed after gunman Thomas Crooks opened fire.
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The threat identified by the Secret Service was reportedly “not specific to the July 13 rally or gunman.”
However, the report highlights a series of additional failures that created what the GAO called an “unsecure environment,” including misallocation of resources, a lack of training, and communication breakdowns.
“Naturally, the American people wanted answers and accountability in the aftermath of this tragedy, and so I worked hard to provide that,” Grassley’s statement said in part.
“The information I’m releasing today is a comprehensive overview of the failures that occurred prior to and on July 13th. More importantly, this report offers a clear path forward for the Secret Service to improve, so it can prevent another Butler from ever happening again.”
The report includes eight recommendations to improve Secret Service operations.
These include requiring proactive internal sharing of threat information and implementing a process that uses risk-based decision-making to allocate resources. The Department of Homeland Security has agreed with the recommendations.
The report’s release follows recent news that six Secret Service agents involved in securing the Butler Farm Show grounds were suspended without pay.
