BUTLER, Pa. – FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate stated on Tuesday that federal agents lack full access to emails sent by Thomas Matthew Crooks, the individual who attempted to shoot former President Trump.
“We’ve encountered varying levels of responses because some applications he was using were encrypted,” Abbate explained during his testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees.
“Some email accounts are accessible, but many remain out of reach due to their encryption,” he added.
Abbate’s acknowledgment that the FBI doesn’t fully grasp the information on Crooks’ phone followed a question from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who serves as the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, regarding the electronics retrieved by the agency from the 20-year-old.
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Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr., left, engages with FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate before giving testimony on the security failures that contributed to the assassination attempt on former President Trump on July 30, 2024. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)
“So, you’re indicating that the individual who attempted to shoot the former president has apps we cannot access?” Graham reiterated. “If we could access them, they might provide valuable insights.”
“That is indeed correct, Senator,” Abbate confirmed.
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“If he were to be in communication with a foreign entity — though I doubt any foreign power would engage this individual — but if there was a significant plot orchestrated by, say, the Iranians,” Graham questioned. “What solutions do we have?”
“Senator, as we’ve consistently communicated, we require a lawful access solution,” Abbate responded.
Sen. Lindsey Graham listens as Sen. Rand Paul addresses a joint committee hearing regarding the security breaches leading to the assassination attempt on former President Trump at the US Capitol on July 30, 2024. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)
The FBI had previously indicated they successfully accessed Crooks’ phone.
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“FBI technical experts have indeed gained access to Thomas Matthew Crooks’ phone and are currently analyzing his electronic devices,” the agency stated in a press release.
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate provide testimony while a photo displays events leading up to the attempted assassination of former President Trump on July 13. (Kevin Mohatt/Reuters)
FBI officials mentioned in a conference call with reporters that encryption issues have hindered their efforts, particularly concerning foreign-based encrypted email accounts. Although the FBI has not identified any foreign involvement in Crooks’ plot, the agency has faced setbacks in accessing those accounts.
This joint hearing involving high-ranking officials from the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI marks the third congressional inquiry in just over a week that centers on the shooting at Trump’s rally, where the former president and two others were injured, and one attendee lost their life.
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The repercussions of the July 13 attack resulted in the resignation of former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who announced her departure after facing intense criticism following her testimony before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.
Rowe, who was the deputy director, was subsequently appointed acting director of the Secret Service.
