Rep. Corey Mills (R-Fla.) on Monday pledged to fund a “parallel, independent investigation” into the assassination attempt on former President Trump, and expressed disappointment at not being selected to serve on the select committee investigating the rally shooting.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) on Monday announced the 13 members of a bipartisan task force to investigate the assassination attempt by a 20-year-old gunman who wounded President Trump, killed one rally attendee, and seriously injured two more.
“This is deeply disappointing, but not surprising to anyone who knows how Washington works: I am not a politician, a leader or a ‘yes man,'” Mills said in a statement Monday.
Mills, an Army veteran who has founded defense contractors and private security companies, pointed to research he conducted on the subject with Rep. Eli Klain (R-Ariz.), a former Navy SEAL sniper, and conservative media personality Benny Johnson.
“I wish the members of Chairman Johnson’s task force every success, and I believe it is time to conduct a parallel independent investigation with whistleblower and subject matter experts (SMEs) that myself, Rep. Eli Klain and Benny Johnson have already come forward,” Mills said. “I will be speaking with the other members, and while I do not have subpoena power, I will personally provide the necessary funding for additional staff to advance this investigation and uncover the truth.”
Mills, after visiting the rally with Benny Johnson and Klein last week, said in a post on social platform X that the group had conducted an “on-site investigation” and spoke with rally attendees and “whistleblowers we protect.”
Crane also expressed disappointment at not being appointed to the task force, A message from X’s Benny Johnson He said it was a “total lie” that Mills and Crane were not selected for the committee.
Chairman Johnson said last week he wanted committee members to be people with “expertise in the areas at stake”.
The task force is chaired by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), who represents Butler, Pennsylvania, and was at the rally when the shooting occurred, and its ranking member is Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), a former Army Ranger and Bronze Star recipient who serves on the House Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committees.
Other Republicans on the ballot include Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee; Rep. Dave Joyce of Ohio, a former prosecutor and chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security; Rep. Mike Walz of Florida, a retired Army Special Forces officer; and Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana, a former police officer.
“We are confident that this solid, highly competent and capable bipartisan team of lawmakers will act swiftly to uncover the facts, ensure accountability, and ensure failures like this never happen again,” Johnson and Jeffries said in a joint statement.
