Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. is demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security after multiple whistleblowers contacted his office with information about Secret Service failures at the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump last Saturday.
"Whistleblowers who have direct knowledge of the event have approached my office. According to the allegations, the July 13 rally was considered to be a 'loose' security event," said Hawley.
Hawley said he was told detection canines were not used to monitor entry and detect threats in the usual manner and people without proper designations were able to gain access to backstage areas.
"Department personnel did not appropriately police the security buffer around the podium and were also not stationed at regular intervals around the event's security perimeter," Hawley said.
In a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Hawley charged his office has not been forthcoming with Congress, including abruptly ending a phone call before most senators could ask questions.
"This is completely unacceptable and contrary to the public's interest in transparency," Hawley said. "We have learned more from whistleblowers than your department's officials."
Hawley wants to know if gaps existed in security perimeters and if usual protocols were followed for the use of canines and magnetometers and wants to know if agents were appropriately stationed around the podium.
"How long did agents physically spend on the ground surveying the site before the event?" Hawley asked. "Did any paperwork obligations prevent a longer and more robust site survey?"
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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