NEW: Whistleblower Identifies One Individual As ‘Personally’ Responsible For Security Failures At Trump Rally

A whistleblower told U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) that Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe personally directed cuts to the Counter Surveillance Division (CSD), which hindered the threat assessment team’s ability to properly perform its routine tasks ahead of former President Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The senator’s report comes just days after Rowe and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate testified before Congress concerning the state of their investigation into the attempt on the former president’s life.

According to the whistleblower, the Secret Service CSD, which performs threat assessment of event sites before the event occurs, did not conduct its evaluation ahead of the July 13 rally.

“This is significant because CSD’s duties include evaluating potential security threats outside the security perimeter and mitigating those threats during the event,” Hawley wrote in a letter to Rowe on Thursday.

In addition, the whistleblower stated that would-be Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks would have been “handcuffed in the parking lot” had the CSD team bean allowed to perform its routine duties.

“The whistleblower claims that if personnel from CSD had been present at the rally, the gunman would have been handcuffed in the parking lot after being spotted with a rangefinder,” Hawley wrote to Rowe. “You acknowledged in your Senate testimony that the American Glass Research complex should have been included in the security perimeter for the Butler event.”

“The whistleblower alleges that because CSD was not present in Butler, this manifest shortcoming was never properly flagged or mitigated,” he said.

Hawley’s office further revealed details on Rose’s alleged personal involvement in the decision-making.

“The whistleblower further alleges that you personally directed significant cuts to CSD, up to and including reducing the division’s manpower by twenty percent,” Hawley said. “You did not mention this in your Senate testimony when asked directly to explain manpower reductions.”
The whistleblower also claimed that agents who raised concerns were targeted for retaliation.

“The whistleblower also alleges retaliation against those within the Secret Service who expressed concern about the security at President Trump’s events,” Hawley said. “The whistleblower claims that following an event with the former President at a golf tournament in August of last year, Secret Service personnel present expressed serious concern that the Secret Service’s use of local law enforcement was not adequate for security needs: local law enforcement were not properly trained for the event or otherwise prepared to execute the tasks given them.”

“Further, Secret Service personnel expressed alarm that individuals were admitted to the event without vetting,” the letter continued. “The whistleblower alleges that those who raised such concerns were retaliated against.”

In a statement to Fox News, the Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said that they will respond to Hawley’s requests.

“We respect the Senator and the role of oversight and will respond to the request through official channels,” Guglielmi said.

It was initially reported that Crooks had purchased a ladder in order to climb onto the roof, though investigators now believe that he climbed an air-conditioning unit to gain roof access. The gunman is also believed to have hidden his AR-15 rifle — which belonged to his father — behind the AC unit.

Instead of being on the roof, law enforcement personnel were instead placed inside the AGR building. Crooks managed to climb onto the roof — located roughly 130 yards away from the former president’s podium — with the teams inside the building.

Security personnel did take notice of Crooks at least 90 minutes before the shooting, as he was seen lurking around the grounds. One officer snapped a picture of him before he slinked away before eventually returning.

To support the Donald Trump's heroic survival and continuing FIGHT for America -- Get your FREE SHIRT today!

This shirt has become an immediate TOP SELLER!

FIGHT