As we previously wrote, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) demanded that the Secret Service and its director, Kimberly Cheatle, appear for briefings, and invited her just hours after the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on Saturday, to attend a hearing on July 22nd. The committee also asked the agency to provide documents and communications related to the Trump rally security planning on Monday:
🚨BREAKING🚨@RepJamesComer has invited U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify at a hearing on Monday, July 22.
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) July 14, 2024
Americans demand answers about the assassination attempt of President Trump. pic.twitter.com/zKia2oIxCf
But after initially getting a commitment from Director Cheatle to meet with lawmakers, some weirdness over the past 24 hours, between the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and two congressional committees, has apparently sideswiped things. DHS seems to be stonewalling on answering the question of when/whether Cheatle will show up.
The congressional investigations started cordially enough, with the House Oversight and Accountability Committee announcing Monday that Cheatle had agreed to appear at a hearing a week later.
A House Homeland Security Committee aide said that Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) spoke to Cheatle on Sunday following the shooting and received a commitment that requested documents about the security plans for the Butler, Pa., rally would be provided promptly.
But while the Homeland Security Committee majority had planned to have the Secret Service director brief members Monday, the agency later asked to reschedule a meeting, according to a panel spokesperson.
. The reports continued, with an Oversight Committee spokesperson hitting the DHS over stalling what had been a smooth process:
The Oversight Committee had separately planned to hold a member briefing with the Secret Service on Tuesday. But in a blistering statement Tuesday afternoon, a committee spokesperson said that DHS had taken over communications for the Secret Service and then refused to confirm a briefing time.
On Wednesday, Chairman Comer showed they are done playing around. Left with few other avenues to it, the House Oversight Committee has now issued a subpoena for the Secret Service head to appear:
🚨BREAKING: Chairman Comer Subpoenas Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) July 17, 2024
“Initially, the Secret Service committed to your attendance. Subsequently, however, DHS officials appear to have intervened and your attendance is now in question. In addition, since DHS’s… pic.twitter.com/6OWOaJD84M
It reads, in part:
“Initially, the Secret Service committed to your attendance. Subsequently, however, DHS officials appear to have intervened and your attendance is now in question. In addition, since DHS’s intervention, there have been no meaningful updates or information shared with the Committee. The lack of transparency and failure to cooperate with the Committee on this pressing matter by both DHS and the Secret Service further calls into question your ability to lead the Secret Service and necessitates the attached subpoena compelling your appearance before the Oversight Committee.”
It's refreshing to see Republicans playing hardball on what couldn't be a more serious subject at the moment. We'll keep you posted on this developing story.
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