In a recent panel discussion hosted by the Heritage Foundation, Ben Shaffer, a Washington Regional SWAT counter-sniper, raised significant concerns regarding the handling of evidence by the FBI following an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally on July 13.
Shaffer’s comments add to a growing chorus of concerns about the integrity of the investigation into the incident involving gunman Thomas Matthew Crook, who opened fire from a nearby building.
During the discussion, Shaffer confirmed that the roof of the AGR International building, where Crook was positioned, was cleaned shortly after the incident.
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He supported the suspicions voiced by Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Cory Mills of Florida, about the quick cleanup being potentially detrimental to the collection of evidence.
Mills questioned the necessity of washing off a roof that was purportedly too sloped for counter-sniper operations but not for evidence tampering. “Do you find it odd that literally only days after the attempted assassination… that it wasn’t too sloped of a roof for the FBI to go ahead and tamper, in my opinion, with evidence by washing the roof off that may have had significant evidence on it?” asked Mills, to which Shaffer replied affirmatively.
Further issues were raised regarding the handling of Crook’s body, which was released and cremated before an official autopsy could be conducted—a move that Shaffer found odd, especially since the responsible coroner reportedly had no knowledge of the body’s release.
Echoing Shaffer’s concerns, Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL and founder of Blackwater, remarked, “It sounds like destruction of evidence.”
Ben Shaffer, a SWAT counter sniper protecting Donald Trump during the J13 assassination attempt, says the Secret Service declined radios from local law enforcement and didn’t station anyone in the communication center.
Instead, they asked local law enforcement to relay… pic.twitter.com/uZQh7TSJjC
— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) August 26, 2024
This sentiment was reinforced by Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.), a former police officer and member of the House select task force probing the assassination attempt.
Higgins highlighted in a report that the FBI authorized the cremation of Crook’s body only 10 days following the incident, without the Butler County coroner’s explicit permission, which he found troubling. “The problem with me not being able to examine the actual body is that I won’t know 100 percent if the coroner’s report and the autopsy report are accurate,” Higgins stated, expressing doubt about ever confirming the reports’ reliability.
The FBI has firmly denied any allegations of wrongdoing, stating, “Any suggestion the FBI is interfering with congressional efforts to look into the attempted assassination which took place in Butler, Pennsylvania is inaccurate and unfounded.” The bureau insists that it has adhered to normal procedures in managing the crime scene and collaborating with local law enforcement and the coroner’s office.
The incident has sparked a broader investigation by Congress, with several members visiting the scene to understand better the security lapses that occurred. Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Fla.) commented on the proximity of the building to the rally stage, noting that the visit raised more questions about the security measures in place that day.
The task force, led by Chairman Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), is continuing its investigation, with Kelly urging patience and caution in drawing conclusions about the events and the involved parties’ actions.
As the investigation unfolds, the implications of these events remain a significant concern for both the safety of public figures and the trust in institutions tasked with protecting them.
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