The more the government tries to seal this case shut, the more it leaks like a sieve.
Fresh FBI documents pried loose through litigation by Judicial Watch are raising uncomfortable—and for officials, downright embarrassing—questions about what really happened before and after the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt targeting then-presidential candidate at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The records were only released after a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit forced their hand. Even then, large portions remain blacked out—leaving the public to read between the lines while officials continue to insist the case is under control.
But the redactions may be doing the opposite. One of the most stunning revelations buried in the documents: a Butler County sheriff’s deputy reportedly exchanged two emails with the alleged shooter, Thomas Crooks, before the attack.
A would-be presidential assassin—whose actions would later trigger one of the most scrutinized security failures in recent political history—had direct electronic contact with a local law enforcement officer. Yet the FBI summary offering this detail is heavily redacted, withholding the context, subject matter, and timing of those emails.
We are told only that the communications existed and were later identified after media inquiries forced a review of records.
Why Crooks was emailing a deputy. What was discussed. Whether any warning signs were missed. All of it remains sealed behind black ink.
Another FBI FD-302 interview summary from a Beaver County Emergency Services Unit medic adds more complexity to the chaotic aftermath at the American Glass Research (AGR) building, where Crooks was ultimately located.
According to the medic, she was part of the emergency response at the Butler County fairgrounds when reports came in about a “questionable subject” near the event perimeter. She later coordinated movement with law enforcement units amid rapidly escalating confusion—reports of a possible shooter, multiple victims, and conflicting radio traffic.
At one point, she was transported toward the AGR facility through a narrow access point between fencing, after being told there may have been “multiple operators down” and even a potential shootout situation unfolding.
Once on site, she was instructed to climb to the roof using a collapsible ladder.
There, she found Crooks’ body.
The medic’s statement confirms she observed Crooks lying face-down, handcuffed with flex-cuffs, with his rifle positioned off to his left side. Nearby, she noted medical supplies that did not belong to her team.
More striking, however, is what happened next. A Washington County SWAT officer reportedly searched Crooks’ right pocket and recovered a “gray remote device with numerical push buttons and an antenna,” along with a cell phone. No further explanation is provided in the released documents about what the device was, what it controlled, or whether it was functional.
That detail alone is now igniting renewed scrutiny—especially given how tightly controlled information has been throughout the investigation.
Shortly afterward, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) personnel arrived to assess the device. The medic recalls being told that a police canine had “hit” on the building below, prompting an evacuation order from the roof. Crooks’ body, however, remained in place for a period of time before eventual removal. Even the timeline of when the body was transported is unclear in the record, with the medic stating she does not know when it was moved.
The medic also described the broader scene as disorganized and fragmented. Multiple agencies were present on the roof, including Butler County SWAT, Washington County SWAT, and uniformed officers. Communication channels were split across different radio systems, limiting situational awareness.
She herself only had access to a Beaver County radio, further highlighting coordination gaps during a rapidly evolving crisis. At 6:23 p.m., she arrived on the roof. Two minutes later, she pronounced Crooks deceased after confirming no pulse at the carotid artery. By then, the situation below had already spiraled into confusion over additional victims, suspect location uncertainty, and possible secondary threats.
Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton says the lawsuit continues to expose what he calls “hidden” information about the case, arguing that Americans deserve full transparency about Crooks, his contacts, and the handling of the assassination attempt. And it’s hard to disagree that major gaps remain.
Why was Crooks communicating with a sheriff’s deputy?
What exactly was the “remote device” found in his pocket?
Why were law enforcement units receiving conflicting threat reports during the incident?
And why, nearly a year later, are so many answers still blacked out?
This latest disclosure doesn’t arrive in isolation. It follows a string of Judicial Watch legal actions that have slowly peeled back layers of the Butler rally security failures.
Earlier releases reportedly showed pre-shooting radio traffic warning of a suspicious individual. Other lawsuits have sought records about security planning, Secret Service coordination, and communications failures surrounding the event.
Taken together, they paint a picture of an operation riddled with gaps, confusion, and delayed information sharing at precisely the moment clarity mattered most.
And yet, the official narrative still feels unfinished.
Because when a would-be assassin can allegedly email a law enforcement deputy—and a “remote device” turns up in his pocket after the fact—the American public is left with something the government seems unwilling to provide: a straight answer.
