Florida is taking legal action against the Justice Department, aiming to lift federal constraints on its investigation into the second assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.
On Wednesday, Attorney General Ashley Moody, representing the state’s Republican administration, submitted a complaint against Attorney General Merrick Garland. This move follows the Justice Department’s directive for Florida to pause its inquiry until the federal investigation is wrapped up. Governor Ron DeSantis, also a Republican, has previously committed to pursuing state charges against the suspect, Ryan Routh, who is currently facing federal allegations.
According to the lawsuit, Florida officials were instructed to refrain from interviewing witnesses and were limited to merely cooperating with the ongoing federal investigation. The Justice Department cited federal law, asserting that the FBI is responsible for investigating assassination attempts on political candidates, thereby suspending state jurisdiction in such cases when federal authorities intervene.
The state claims its lawsuit is a necessary step to uphold its right to investigate potential violations of state law, arguing that any delays could impact the effectiveness of future prosecutions.
The Justice Department, however, has chosen not to comment on the matter.
The state’s investigation was announced by Gov. DeSantis just two days following the incident that occurred on September 15 at Trump’s golf resort in West Palm Beach. Officials indicate that the assassination attempt was thwarted when a member of Trump’s Secret Service detail noticed a rifle barrel aiming through the fence line of the golf course. That agent fired at the suspect, who subsequently fled and was later apprehended in a nearby county.
Routh has pleaded not guilty to all charges at the federal level, with prior statements from officials affirming that he did not fire any shots and did not have a clear line of sight on Trump during the incident. Court documents reveal that Routh had outlined his intentions to kill Trump in a handwritten letter months prior to his arrest. In this correspondence, he described his actions as a failed “assassination attempt on Donald Trump” and offered a sum of $150,000 to anyone who could “finish the job.” This letter was discovered in a box that Routh had allegedly left at the residence of an unidentified witness well before his arrest.
Notably, this incident occurred only two months after Trump was injured in an assassination attempt during a campaign event in Pennsylvania, where he was shot in the ear. The Secret Service has acknowledged shortcomings that preceded that assault but has asserted that its protocols effectively prevented the attack in Florida.