The state of Florida is taking legal action against the Justice Department over its handling of the investigation into President Trump's second assassination attempt, accusing it of suppressing state-level investigations.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody explained her decision to file a lawsuit against the Justice Department in an exclusive on Fox & Friends, saying the department has “frustrated” the state's efforts “on every front.”
“Governor DeSantis has made it clear that he wants the state of Florida to pursue an independent investigation of state crimes and, of course, cooperate with the federal government, which he felt was in the best interest of the state, its sovereignty, and the American people. “Because there are concerns that the same federal agencies that are investigating this assassination attempt are pursuing and prosecuting the president, the victim in this case,” Moody said. He told Brian Kilmeade on Thursday.
“So we were hoping this day would never come, but every time we went forward with the investigation, they tried to frustrate it,” she continued. “And what they're actually doing is suspending the state's jurisdiction, which would put our investigation on hold indefinitely. We don't believe the law supports that. ”
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The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, alleges that the Justice Department blocked Florida authorities from questioning witnesses and pursuing state-level charges, and ultimately failed to conduct its own parallel investigation until the conclusion of the federal prosecution. There is.
On September 15, Routh allegedly hid in the bushes outside the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach with a rifle while Trump was playing.
“Each time Florida's investigation is impeded, it becomes more difficult to prove Florida's case in court,” the document says.
On September 15, Trump faced an alleged attempt on his life after the Secret Service opened fire on a suspect hiding in shrubbery around Trump's West Palm Beach golf course, where the Republican presidential candidate was playing. survived.
DeSantis announced that Florida would conduct its own investigation into the matter, arguing it was in the state's and country's “best interests.”
“In my judgment, it is in the best interest of the state and the nation that this investigation be led by the same federal agency that is prosecuting Donald Trump, especially when the most serious and simple crimes involve violations of state law.” “It's not a federal law,” he told reporters last month.
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The lawsuit comes after Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department would cooperate with Florida's independent investigation.
“As I stated immediately after the incident, the Department of Justice is sparing every resource to ensure accountability in this matter. Since then, our nation's prosecutors and investigators… “We are working around the clock to find the necessary evidence,” he said.
The suspect, identified as 58-year-old Ryan Routh, fled the area but was quickly arrested during a traffic stop near Palm City, Florida. He remains in federal custody.
The Department of Justice declined to comment on the Florida lawsuit.
“Certainly when this incident happened, many of our local agencies were supportive,” Moody said. “In fact, we were responsible for apprehending the defendant. Although we did everything in our power to assist, we were unable to pursue the most serious offenses of state law violations, including fleeing and other state crimes resulting from the flight.” And it's been frustrating on all fronts.”
“We've been in touch, we've had meetings, and unfortunately…the state of Florida and I, as attorney general, will defend the sovereignty of this state and take what we believe to be an overreach of federal power. “I'm going to push back,” she continued.
It's been just two months since a 20-year-old gunman climbed onto the roof of a building surrounding a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania and opened fire, narrowly killing the former president just minutes into his speech. The rest has passed.
FOX News' Bradford Betts contributed to this report.
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