Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody challenged federal jurisdiction in the investigation of the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, claiming the state’s holds a right to investigate and raising concerns about federal agencies withholding evidence.
An increasingly terse air surrounding dueling investigations into the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump grew more tense on Monday after Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody questioned federal authorities over their jurisdiction in the investigation.
In a letter sent to FBI Director Christopher Wray and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe, Moody asserted that Florida has the legal right to conduct its own investigation into the assassination attempt, given that the incident occurred within the state and involved a Florida resident.
Moody subsequently expressed concern that federal agencies may not be fully cooperating with Florida’s investigation, citing reports that the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) may be withholding evidence from state authorities. She pointed to a federal statute that grants oversight in investigations involving current or former officials, including ex-presidents. However, Moody questioned whether the federal government had appropriately invoked this statute, contending that Florida retains a legitimate claim to investigate the crime under state law.
“The State understandably desires to investigate violations of its own laws, including attempted murder,” the letter reads. “As we move forward, I expect that the State of Florida will be given access to evidence and witnesses with the level of cooperation that state and federal law enforcement consistently provide each other on matters of public safety.”
The attorney general’s letter also drew attention to public skepticism surrounding federal agencies in the wake of the assassination attempt. Moody suggested that allowing state investigators to play a more active role could help restore public confidence in the inquiry, which has faced mounting criticism.
“Given all the public scrutiny on the FBI, DOJ, and the Secret Service, one would think that having Florida conduct its own investigation alongside federal agencies would mitigate public concern regarding the credibility and reliability of these institutions and would be welcomed by the federal government,” Moody wrote.
Moody also noted that FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Veltri had mentioned the aforementioned statute during a conversation with a Florida law enforcement officer about access to evidence and the crime scene. She further reported that Lapointe referred to the same statute in a separate meeting with Florida Statewide Prosecutor Nick Cox regarding the investigation.
“I was surprised to learn that FBI and DOJ officials have indicated that they may not cooperate with the State of Florida or allow the State access to evidence already collected by federal agencies,” said Moody.
Moody requested clarification on whether the federal government is formally claiming exclusive jurisdiction over the case and, if so, whether it is correctly interpreting the statute that would preempt state involvement. She requested a response by Friday, September 27.
Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis tasked Florida’s Statewide Prosecutor with investigating the attempted assassination of former President Trump, asserting the state’s ability to pursue harsher penalties than federal prosecutors.