(NewsNation) — The House Judiciary Committee is launching a probe around the Department of Justice and the safety of Supreme Court justices following an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, announced the probe, requesting a briefing for the committee with a deadline of Aug. 6.
“Accordingly, in light of the heightened rhetoric and the recent assassination attempt on President Trump, we remain concerned about the security and safety of all judicial branch officers — including and especially the safety of Supreme Court justices. As such, we request a staff-level briefing regarding the Department’s efforts and the steps taken to ensure and bolster the safety of Supreme Court justices,” Jordan said in a letter sent to the Justice Department.
Following a shooting at a Trump campaign rally July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, lawmakers have been intensely focused on failures by the U.S. Secret Service. Housed under the Department of Homeland Security, the agency has been criticized for failing to stop the shooting as new information has come to light, including the fact that a sniper team noticed the shooter 20 minutes before he opened fire.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle appeared before the House Oversight Committee in a combative hearing Monday as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle pressed her for answers. Cheatle provided few details on security plans leading up to the rally or on the investigation into the shooter.
Following the hearing, Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., issued a bipartisan call for Cheatle’s resignation. Cheatle has resisted calls to resign, leading Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., to announce his intention to file articles of impeachment.
Supreme Court Justices are protected by the U.S. Marshals Service, an agency housed under the Department of Justice, rather than the Secret Service.
The justices have faced increasing threats in recent years as the perception of the court as politicized has grown. The shift in how the public sees the court has come following a number of controversial decisions, including the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the decision on presidential immunity.
It has also come as reporting has raised potential ethical issues, including those involving Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. Reports of undeclared gifts from political donors and the justices’ refusal to recuse themselves from cases where they or their family members may have ties to the issue have sparked public ire.
The probe also comes as the FBI has warned of a heightened risk for political violence during the election, including possible retaliatory acts for those perceived to have motivated the Trump shooting. As of now, there is no evidence that the assassination attempt was political in nature, but investigators are still working to determine what led to the shooting.
