The state of Florida, led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, is stepping up big-time in support of its most famous resident, former President Donald Trump. State Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday, claiming that the Department of Justice is obstructing the state’s ability to fully investigate the second assassination attempt against former President Trump in Palm Beach.
According to the complaint, FBI and DOJ officials acted “almost immediately” to impede the state’s investigation. “In conversations with federal officials and in subsequent correspondence, these officials have stated that Florida may not conduct its own investigation, may not interview witnesses, and may only cooperate with the federal government’s investigation,” the lawsuit stated. Federal authorities have indicted suspect Ryan Routh on five counts for allegedly pointing a gun through the bushes at Trump’s golf course in Palm Beach in what appears to be an assassination attempt.
DeSantis, a Republican, issued an executive order directing state agencies to make sure the correct state charges are filed against Routh. “The state of Florida is going to do our own investigation. Clearly, there were multiple violations of Florida law. We also, I think, have an interest in vindicating the truth about where this guy came from, what his motivations were. The people of our state deserve that,” DeSantis said last month after Routh was arrested. “I don’t think it’s in the best interest of this country to say that agencies like the FBI and DOJ, which are trying to prosecute Trump in South Florida, they’re on appeal at the 11th Circuit trying to reinstate an indictment that had been dismissed, that they’re the best people to turn around and one, give us the truth about this defendant, but also to prosecute the case where they don’t have as strong of jurisdictional claims.”
A few days later, however, DeSantis said the Biden-Harris regime wasn’t being cooperative and were actually preventing state officials from doing their jobs. “I want to turn to another topic because we were relieved to hear that you are doing your own independent investigation in Florida concerning the second assassination attempt on President Trump,” Ingraham noted during the segment. “My question to you tonight is, are the Feds being cooperative with your investigation? Are you concerned that you’re not getting the information you need?”
“The answer is, no, they’re not being cooperative. Yes, I am concerned. I mean, for example, we were rebuffed. Our investigators were rebuffed just going to the fence line outside of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach,” DeSantis said. “And so, I think they’ve taken the position they don’t want the state of Florida to be involved in this. But here’s the thing: there were multiple violations of Florida law across multiple jurisdictions. We think at least three judicial circuits. This guy, Ryan Routh, committed potential violations of Florida law,” he continued.
“So, we have a duty to investigate this. We have a duty to bring the appropriate charges, and we also have a duty to inform the public about how this happened, so I don’t anticipate they’re being cooperative,” the governor added. “I think that they’ve just taken that position, and I think that that’s unfortunate because even though I’ve been very clear, the state of Florida is going to do an investigation.
“You know, I’ve not disputed their right to also investigate. It’s the federal government, and he was in their protective custody as a presidential candidate. But let us do this. So, hopefully, that tune will change. But I can tell you right now, Laura, we have not gotten a lot of receptive, receptive response” from the Biden-Harris administration, DeSantis said, going on to question how Routh — whose place of residence is listed as Hawaii and who appears to be financially strapped — made it all the way to Florida to lay in wait for Trump.
“How did he end up in Florida to begin with? What does this pathway this guy has taken to end up in those bushes trying to assassinate the former President of the United States and current Republican nominee?” DeSantis said. “How did that happen? And we have not gotten answers about Butler” Pennsylvania, the site of the first assassination attempt against Trump in July, the governor continued. “We haven’t gotten answers about things like the Las Vegas shooting from many years ago.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.