Pennsylvania Police Commissioner Says Secret Service Won’t Share Operations Plan For Day Of Attempted Assassination

Speaking before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Tuesday, the commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police revealed that the Secret Service has refused to release to him the operations plan they had for the day of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

Colonel Christopher L. Paris, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, who noted he had asked for the Secret Service operations plan for the day but had yet to receive it, stated:

Each day ….I learn multiple new facts as we uncover new information. … Prior to the shooting, our role was to provide the  Secret Service with personnel and assets that they requested. Our operation plan completed, to fulfill this responsibility consisted of 32 members, and we had two main responsibilities: a motorcade operation for the transportation with the Secret Service of former President Trump as well as manning and staffing security posts inside the secure area of the Butler County Farm Show. Additionally we provided two marked cars with uniformed troopers outside of the secure perimeter to provide roving duties, as the name implies, responding to incidents that may occur as a large gathering of people were moving to the venue.

Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS) commented, “The fact that the Secret Service is stonewalling your investigation, that they’re not providing you this information, we saw the testimony yesterday from the Secret Service Director where she refused to answer questions and has now resigned, I find that to be especially troubling. We have the Secret Service not wanting to cooperate with Congress, not wanting to cooperate with a fellow law enforcement agency, and I personally find that troubling.”

Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), who chairs the committee, and visited the Butler, Pennsylvania site on Monday where the attempted assassination took place, stated, “I, for one, was struck by how close the unsecured building from which (the shooter) took his shot was to the stage where President Trump was standing. … after several of our committee members climbed on the roof, let me tell you, any excuse about the roof being too steep to post a counter-sniper team up there is pure nonsense.”

When asked if the slope of the roof could have “prevented a sniper from being up there,” Paris replied bluntly, “I don’t believe so, sir.”

Former Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle had stated that the slope of the roof where the shooter launched his attack was too sloped to post a counter-sniper there because it created a safety concern. Cheatle resigned on Tuesday morning.

Green also targeted Rep. Bennie Thomson (D-MS), who on April 19 introduced the “Denying Infinite Security and Government Resources Allocated toward Convicted and Extremely Dishonorable Former Protectees Act,” which stated that it would automatically terminate Secret Service protection for those who have been sentenced to prison following conviction for a Federal or State felony.

“I have to urge the ranking member to reconsider his legislation that was clearly intended to strip Secret Service protection from President Trump,” Green asserted. “While I understand the legislation would not have applied in this instance, it was clear to everyone that it was directed toward former President Trump. We all introduce messaging bills; this one should be withdrawn.”