Congressman claims FBI committed ‘obstruction’ for authorizing the cremation of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man who tried to assassinate Trump
The House of Representatives' team investigating the incident in Butler, Pa., on July 13 says it is "disturbing" that the agency prevented the shooter's remains from being analyzed as planned.
Thomas Matthew Crooks
Rep. Clay Higgins, a member of the committee investigating the attack on Donald Trump in Butler, Pa., claimed that the body of the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, has gone missing. Higgins accused the FBI of returning the body to the family, which had him cremated prior to congressional analysis.
Higgins said it is "disturbing" that the agency prevented further investigation and analysis of the shooter's remains as planned. "My effort to examine Crooks' body on Monday, August 5, caused quite a stir and revealed a disturbing fact … the FBI released the body for cremation 10 days after [July 13, the day of the attack]," Higgins wrote in his report to the bipartisan committee organized to investigate security lapses surrounding the assassination attempt.
According to Higgins, the body disappeared on July 23 and as of Monday, Aug. 5, no one knew anything of its whereabouts. Higgins described the FBI's actions "as an obstruction to any following investigative effort." He qualifies that, although it was the coroner who released the body, this would not have occurred without the FBI's permission.
Rep. Higgins lamented that now, the investigation conducted by Congress only be able to examine the elements that the FBI will provide. This evidence is comprised of images and reports from the local coroner and the federal agency.
An unusual procedure
The Republican assured in his report that this procedure by the FBI is not a common occurrence at crime scenes. "I interviewed several First Responders who expressed everything from surprise to dismay to suspicion regarding the fact that the FBI released the crime scene so early after [July 13]," Higgins stated.
He adds in his notes that the FBI knew full well that the U.S. Congress was conducting an investigation into the motives that allowed Thomas Matthew Crooks to fire from such a clear position at Donald Trump. "The FBI cleaned up biological evidence from the crime scene, which is unheard of," Higgins wrote. "Cops don't do that, ever."
Praise for local law enforcement
Higgins also gave some details about the shooting and the shooter who took Crooks' life. It was a member of the Butler Police SWAT Team who took down the shooter with two shots. The first hit Crooks' rifle in the stock, damaged it and caused an explosion of shrapnel that wounded Crooks. A second Secret Service shot struck Crooks in the head.
FBI denies any obstruction
Following the statements made by Republican Representative Clay Higgins, a spokesman for the FBI sought to contradict the congressman.
In statements to Fox News, the federal agency rejected the allegations made by Republican Congressman Clay Higgins. The spokesman added that any suggestion that the agency is interfering with congressional efforts to investigate the assassination attempt "is inaccurate and unfounded."
The FBI assures that Crooks' body was released to his family in coordination with the Butler Coroner's Office "in accordance with normal procedures."
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