(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The Secret Service still hasn’t provided its operations plan to Congress, but a whistleblower has apparently released parts of that plan to Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
Grassley released the whistleblower disclosures in a Tuesday letter to Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe. “These records appear to be from a larger Secret Service operational plan for the July 13 event,” the senator told Rowe.
Grassley’s whistleblower disclosures included the Secret Service’s list of where the snipers were to be stationed for the Butler rally. That list shows that local snipers were designated to be inside the AGR Building used by Thomas Crooks as a perch to shoot at Trump—seemingly contradicting other reports that the locals were supposed to be on the rooftop, but abandoned it because of the hot weather.
However, the Secret Service list released by Grassley appears to have inaccurate information. For instance, it says that Butler snipers were stationed inside the “Horse Stadium Announcer Box.” In fact, it was Washington County snipers who were on top of that structure, which was southwest to Trump.
The Secret Service is still stonewalling Congress, but a whistleblower has apparently leaked portions of its ops plan for the deadly Butler rally.
The disclosures raise more questions. The snipers list says Butler snipers were INSIDE the "Horse Stadium Announcer Box" to Trump's 2… pic.twitter.com/tIIKKMRu7z— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) September 18, 2024
Grassley asked Rowe whether the Secret Service list is a true and accurate representation of the agency’s security plans for Butler, and whether other documents exist that provide further context.
Along with the Secret Service sniper list, Grassley also released a list showing that 22 “post standers” were assigned to the Butler rally, 16 of which came from different federal agencies. Post standers are agents who arrived several hours before Trump’s personal protection detail to sweep the venue, and who then remain at their posts for the duration of the event.
Grassley asked Rowe whether the post-standers list was accurate, too. That question was seemingly answered during a Wednesday congressional hearing by Katrina Berger, who heads Homeland Security Investigations, the lead investigative organ of DHS. Berger told lawmakers that the 16 post standers at the Butler rally came from her agency.
Still, Grassley demands answers from Rowe, who has apparently been stonewalling him—despite earlier promises for full transparency.
“I strongly urge that you follow through on the commitment you made to me to ‘provide information to Congress as it carries out its oversight function,’ as I carry out my constitutional oversight duty,” he told Rowe.
“Accordingly, in addition to providing responsive records that I requested in my prior letters, provide answers and a responsive production of records to this letter no later than September 24.”
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
