Congress is quickly ramping up a sprawling, multi-committee investigation into the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, with much of its early scrutiny focused on the Secret Service.
House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) announced on Monday that his panel will hold a hearing on July 22 with Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. The Secret Service will also brief members of his panel on Tuesday, a committee aide told POLITICO.
“We are grateful to the brave Secret Service agents who acted quickly to protect President Trump after shots were fired and the American patriots who sought to help victims, but questions remain about how a rooftop within proximity to President Trump was left unsecure,” Comer said in a statement announcing the hearing.
Comer and other Republicans on the House Oversight Committee sent Cheatle a letter Monday requesting records, according to a copy obtained by POLITICO. Republicans want some of the information — including a list of law enforcement personnel involved in the rally — before she testifies, while a more extensive sweep for documents and records has a deadline set later this month.
The House Oversight Committee is just one of several congressional panels planning investigations into Saturday’s shooting.
Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) — the chair and ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, respectively — also announced Monday that their committee will conduct a bipartisan investigation.
The two, in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray, want a briefing from the departments, including the Secret Service, by July 25. They also requested that Mayorkas and Wray, or their designees, appear for a public hearing no later than Aug. 1.
The FBI is also briefing several committee chairs and ranking members, including the top members of the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees, two people familiar told POLITICO.
Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) was also briefed on the investigation by FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate on Monday. Durbin has requested a closed-door, in-person briefing with the Secret Service, DHS and the FBI for Judiciary Committee members next week, a committee spokesperson told POLITICO.
Judiciary Committee Republicans sent Durbin a letter Monday asking him to hold a hearing. The committee spokesperson, asked about the letter, said Durbin’s staff started discussions with Sen. Lindsey Graham’s staff over the weekend “about the briefing and other possible next steps, including a hearing.”
House Homeland Security Republicans had been expected to be briefed Monday by Cheatle. But a committee spokesperson said Monday afternoon that after Cheatle agreed to brief members, the Secret Service asked to reschedule.
“The Committee has made clear that it expects to receive an alternative briefing date from the [Secret Service] promptly,” the spokesperson said, adding that Homeland Security Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) and ranking member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) spoke Monday with the FBI.
Speaker Mike Johnson, in a social media post over the weekend, vowed the House would conduct a “full investigation.”
“The American people deserve to know the truth. We will have Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other appropriate officials from DHS and the FBI appear for a hearing before our committees ASAP,” he added.
Wray was already scheduled to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee next week before Saturday’s shooting.
But most of Congress’ early questions are focused on Cheatle and the Secret Service, with lawmakers questioning publicly how the gunman was able to get on a roof roughly 200 yards from where Trump was speaking.
Cheatle, in a Monday statement, said the Secret Service would cooperate with an independent review announced by President Joe Biden, as well as working “with the appropriate Congressional committees on any oversight action.”
“The Secret Service is working with all involved Federal, state and local agencies to understand what happened, how it happened, and how we can prevent an incident like this from ever taking place again. We understand the importance of the independent review announced by President Biden yesterday and will participate fully,” she added.
Ursula Perano contributed to this report.
