The Florida attorney general's office has confirmed that Ryan Routh, who was charged with trying to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course in September, was involved in a car crash that occurred while he was fleeing from authorities. announced that he has been charged with a new charge of attempted felony murder. Ashley Moody made the announcement Wednesday.
Moody said law enforcement had to intercept Routh and shut down traffic in both directions to protect public safety as he fled northbound on Interstate 95. said. However, the lane closure led to a traffic accident in which a 6-year-old girl traveling with her family was injured.
The new charges against Routh come after complaints from Florida authorities about what she called a “lack of cooperation and support from federal officials.”
“We immediately reached out and started communicating with our federal partners,” she said. “As soon as we started making these requests, we were faced with a lack of willingness to allow access to the crime scene, a lack of willingness to provide the evidence we had collected, a lack of willingness to allow witnesses to be interviewed, and a list of It continues.”
Routh's legal team considers insanity defense in Trump assassination attempt
Ryan Routh is accused of ambushing Trump with a rifle on September 15 while he was playing golf at a golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
Mr. Routh reportedly waited in the bushes with a rifle for more than 12 hours on September 15th, while Mr. Trump was golfing, surrounding the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. It is said that he was A Secret Service agent saw Mr. Routh pointing a rifle through the fence and fired at him. Routh fled and was arrested the same day.
Routh has already pleaded not guilty to five charges, including attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate and assaulting a federal employee.
Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in the second failed assassination plot against former President Donald Trump, was pictured grinning in a mug shot. (Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office)
Routh last appeared in federal court at a hearing on Dec. 11, where his attorneys are considering an insanity defense.
Who is Ryan Wesley Routh: Suspected Trump Golf Club Shooter?
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis echoed Moody's comments, saying it would be difficult to work with federal authorities on the issue.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday, February 25, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)
“Federal authorities have repeatedly obstructed Florida's investigation into the attempted assassination of President Trump, and we thank AG Ashley Moody and her team for moving forward despite such resistance.” Posted in X. “We fully expect that the tide will turn on January 20th and that the federal government's roadblocks will be removed. The would-be assassin must face the full force of justice, and the public must understand the defendant's history, motivations, and , the truth about the plan should be revealed.”
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Routh remains in federal custody. His trial is currently scheduled for February 10, 2025.
