Officials at Secret Service headquarters told agents working Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, not to request additional manpower resources for the July 13th event and warned any such requests would be denied, according to a whistleblower with knowledge of the matter.
The sensational allegation contradicts Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr.’s previous testimony to the Senate, where he repeatedly suggested that no security assets had been denied for the Butler event.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) released a scathing letter to Rowe Friday demanding he “explain this apparent contradiction immediately.”
Transcript below (emphasis ours):
Dear Acting Director Rowe,
I have received new whistleblower allegations that again call into question your recent testimony before the Senate. One whistleblower with knowledge of Secret Service planning for former President Trump’s trip to Butler, Pennsylvania alleges that officials at Secret Service headquarters encouraged agents in charge of the trip not to request any additional security assets in its formal manpower request-effectively denying these assets through informal means. Yet you have repeatedly suggested that no security assets had been denied for the Butler event. You must explain this apparent contradiction immediately.
According to the whistleblower, the lead advance agent for a protectee trip typically submits a “manpower request” to the local field office. This normally includes the number of personnel and other security assets needed for the event and is submitted to the U.S. Secret Service’s Office of Protective Operations – Manpower (OPO – Manpower) for final approval. According to the allegations, officials within this office preemptively informed the Pittsburgh field office that the Butler rally was not going to receive additional security resources because Trump is a former president and not the incumbent President or Vice President. According to the whistleblower, the manpower request did not include extra security resources because agents on the ground were told not to ask for them in the first place.
Importantly, these resources included counter-sniper teams and Counter Surveillance Division (CSD) personnel. According to public reports, counter-snipers were ultimately approved, but only the day prior to the event-leaving them an insufficient amount of time to conduct a proper site assessment. I have previously written you about a separate whistleblower’s allegations to my office that personnel from CSD would have handcuffed the gunman in the parking lot after he was spotted with a rangefinder, but they were not present on the day. You stated in an August 2 press conference that CSD personnel support former presidents’ details “when requested.” But these new allegations suggest that CSD personnel, counter-sniper teams, and other critical security assets were not included in the manpower request for the Butler trip because Secret Service officials told the requesting agents that they would be denied.
These allegations come despite your testimony to the contrary before the Senate on July 30. When asked whether former President Trump’s team had been denied resources, you stated: “If you’re talking about Butler, Pennsylvania, all assets requested were approved.” You also stated directly to me that you have been “very transparent and forthcoming” with Congress. But according to the allegations, you did not tell the full story.
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