Congress denied access to crucial Trump protection plan screams 'cover your a-- mode': expert

BUTLER, Pa. — Congress was denied access to the integral Ops Report that details the protection plan for former President Trump's rally, according to a lawmaker who was at Wednesday's FBI briefing and spoke to Fox News Digital on the condition of anonymity.

Paul Mauro, an attorney and retired NYPD inspector, said the Ops Report "should detail who was supposed to cover the area of the roof that (Thomas Matthew) Crooks fired from."

"If there was no Ops Plan done, or if it didn't cover that rooftop, whoever signed off on it failed badly," Mauro said. 

The detailed, written plan was in the hands of the FBI as of Thursday afternoon, according to Mauro, who said the information came from a source "I absolutely, 100% trust." The FBI declined to comment. 

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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is covered by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Somehow, Crooks, 20, fell through the cracks, despite several reported sightings as early as an hour before he opened fire on a crowd of people in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday.

One bullet nicked Trump's ear, and may have killed him if Trump didn't move his head at that exact moment. 

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A beloved former fire chief, Corey Comperatore, died while shielding his wife and daughters from a hail of bullets, and two other men were seriously wounded. 

"This was something very, very badly planned," Mauro said. "Just the idea that they had Trump in a car, and couldn't get the car off the grounds because it was locked is unbelievably irresponsible."

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage after a shooting during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump is assisted by security personnel after gunfire rang out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 13, 2024.? (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)

Typically, there's a dedicated hospital car and an evacuation plan with a driver who knows a direct route to the hospital, Mauro said.

That "tells me that this thing was done very casually, very under resourced and there was no managing mind over the whole thing," he said. 

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"There wasn't an incident commander. Nobody was really in command. Maybe on paper, there probably was, but whoever it was was asleep at the switch."

Mauro said they were lucky Trump didn't sustain a more serious injury. 

Authorities approach the suspected gunman from where he fell after the U.S. Secret Service returned fire after an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

FBI agents visited the home of would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crook's home in Bethel Park, Pa. (AFP/ REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk)

Now that lawmakers are being blocked from seeing the report, and the Secret Service was quick to point the finger at the local police, it screams they're in "cover your a-- mode," he said. 

"There's a lot of culpability, and this idea that, oh, the locals blew it, that idea is already starting to fall apart."

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Former Buffalo Township Fire Chief Corey Comperatore pictured with his daughters in an undated family photo. Authorities say Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania, Saturday, struck and killed Comperatore in the crossfire. Secret Service agents returned fire, killing Crooks. (Helen Comperatore/Facebook)

After 26 seconds of gunfire, Crooks was "neutralized" on the roof that was about 150 yards away from the podium where Trump stood when he was shot. 

Nearly a week after the shooting, there are many unanswered questions and apparent lapses in planning and/or execution. 

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The next step is Monday's House Oversight Committee hearing, where lawmakers will question Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who agreed to comply with the committee's subpoena. 

The Oversight Committee is led by Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.). 

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"It is good that Comer immediately announced that he would have oversight looking at this, and that he was going to be using the House's subpoena power because you need somebody looking over the shoulder of the task force investigating this," Mauro said. 

"Realistically, they can say they're doing it in conjunction with the Pennsylvania State Police, blah, blah, blah, but the FBI is doing this, and I'm sorry … I don't trust their leadership."

He said there's been way too many failures of late, and he said it's imperative to have someone looking over their shoulder during the investigation.

An undated image of Thomas Matthew Crooks.? (Handout via AFP)

Police snipers set up on a rooftop for a rally held by former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday, July 13, 2024. An assassination attempt was made on the former president at the event, killing one person and injuring three others, including Trump. (Todd the Driller)

Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General began its "review to examine the process implemented by the United States Secret Service (USSS) to secure" the July 13 political campaign event. 

They're also reviewing the Secret Service Counter Sniper Team "preparedness and operations."

"Our objective is to determine the extent to which the Secret Service Counter Sniper Team is prepared for, and responds to, threats at events attended by designated protectees," the DHS OIG said in a statement. 

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The office "continues to consider other reviews related to USSS (United States Secret Service) programs and operations that may arise. DHS OIG will coordinate its reviews with other law enforcement partners, as appropriate."