Butler Assassination Attempt Documents Locked Down in Congressman Kelly’s Office, as Case Goes Cold on Link to ‘Crooks’

April 1, 2025

Republican Congressman Mike Kelly who Chaired the Congressional Task Force investigating the July 13th attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, whines about law enforcement withholding important data, but he also continues to face scrutiny for withholding critical investigative documents from the public.

AbleChild contacted Congressman Kelly’s office requesting a copy of the PA State Police Report and a copy of the Allegheny County Coroner’s Autopsy on Thomas Matthew Crooks and was told to “FOIA it.” Why should any American have to FOIA reports that were obtained during a Congressional Task force investigation? In addition, there are no laws preventing their release. The documents were used to complete the investigative report. Why should Congressman Kelly have the final say in what Americans are allowed to know about the Butler assassination attempt? The American taxpayers paid for the Task force to conduct the investigation and should be entitled to see all the documents collected as part of the investigation. The Congressman’s office is well aware that any FOIA request could take months, if not years, to get a response. 

Make no mistake, Kelly’s refusal to release requested documents raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability in this high-profile case.  Unfortunately, despite the Task force’s efforts in its final 180-page report, no specific information identifying the alleged shooter and motive for the attack has been made public. Talk about waste and abuse. The Task force “investigation” produced literally no new information about who the shooter is and why the attack occurred. It didn’t even provide physical evidence to prove the alleged shooter was Thomas Crooks.

Given the admittedly “insubstantial” report, Chairman Kelly blames law enforcement for refusing to provide requested information. Kelly’s excuse for a shoddy investigation is the fault of others who “are very good at stonewalling and then dismissing people as conspiracy theorists.” Kelly further laments that his requests to the FBI, Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, went unfulfilled. Some might call this the height of irony.

And one might question why Kelly, the Member of Congress who represents Butler PA, refused to use the Congressional subpoena power at his fingertips? The subpoena was threatened but never used. Why? If Kelly and his fellow “investigators” were serious about getting to the bottom of the assassination attempt, there seems no legitimate reason for any federal agency stonewalling the Task force when faced with the subpoena.

Beyond the obvious questions that have yet to be answered, there are many interesting mental health connections back in the Congressman’s district that also should be reviewed. Some include: an elected official who defended first responders who allegedly stood down prior to the shooting, large behavioral health companies that certainly may have had their hands in the mix, the Skilled Nursing home, the owners of the AGR building, the FBI behavioral health unit, the behavioral health “expert” parents, and now apparently the DA in Butler County.

The narrative surrounding Thomas Matthew Crooks, the alleged shooter, is riddled with inconsistencies and unanswered questions. Notably, there is no physical evidence directly tying Crooks to the body found on the AGR rooftop or a direct match between the alleged gun used and the shots fired. The full ballistics report and autopsy report remain shrouded in secrecy. Oddly enough, the limited data released thus far fails to place Crooks at the scene as the shooter. Where is the fingerprint and DNA data that proves Crooks was the shooter. This is a fact that undermines the official narrative and demands further investigation. Without these key pieces of evidence, any conclusions about Crooks’ involvement remain speculative at best.

Adding to the controversy is Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger’s role in defending local snipers who reportedly abandoned their posts during the rally. Goldinger has publicly disputed findings from both the Pennsylvania State Police and the Secret Service, further muddying the waters. His defense of these unnamed officers, who reportedly left their rooftop positions due to heat-related issues, clashes with whistleblower accounts and raises questions about his impartiality. 

Goldinger’s long-standing ties to the behavioral health industry deepen suspicions, given Crooks’ employment at a nursing home linked to behavioral health professionals, his parents’ involvement in this field and the owners of the AGR Building.  There appears to be a common behavioral health industry thread that reveals deeper bonds.

Still it remains impossible for the public to access any original data about what truly transpired during this assassination attempt. It is embarrassing to think that the lawmaker feels he must shelter the public from this data as he early on suggested that the public might not be able to stand seeing the autopsy. Please! Don’t worry Congressman, the American people are tough and can handle it. 

It’s clear that Kelly was beyond his capabilities when it came to leading this Congressional investigation, as he continually failed to ask the important questions, including what did Crooks’ phone reveal about his whereabouts from the pings that are always available, and what happened to the White Van found on the rally fairgrounds that was full of explosives and towed away by local police for further investigation. For God’s sake, the owner of the Van never returned. Was Kelly just not interested in that piece of evidence of a possible second assassin? Total incompetence comes to mind.

At a time when President Trump is trying to clean up government fraud and abuse, Kelly’s decision to withhold critical documents continues to undermine public trust in his leadership and raises serious questions about his commitment to accountability. Transparency is not optional when addressing an attempted assassination of a president. The public deserves answers—not obfuscation or bureaucratic delays.

Congressman Kelly must release all investigative reports immediately. The refusal to provide transparency in such a significant case erodes confidence in his ability as a lawmaker and fuels suspicion about what is being concealed. In other words, Kelly is fueling conspiracy theories by withholding this data, and anything less than full disclosure is unacceptable and leaves a distinct odor of coverup. 

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