Florida Republican pledges ‘parallel independent investigation’ into Trump shooting

Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) on Monday pledged to fund a “parallel independent investigation” into the attempted assassination of former President Trump, expressing disappointment at not being selected to sit on the task force to investigate the rally shooting.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) earlier Monday announced the 13 members of the bipartisan task force to investigate the assassination attempt, in which a 20-year-old gunman left Trump injured, one rally attendee dead and two others severely injured.

“It’s very unfortunate but not surprising for anyone familiar with how DC works. I’m not a politician, leadership, or a ‘yes man,’” Mills said in a statement Monday.

Mills, an Army veteran who has founded defense contracting and private security companies, referenced an investigation into the matter that he conducted with Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), a former Navy SEAL sniper, and conservative media personality Benny Johnson. 

“I wish the members of Speaker Johnson’s Task Force well, and think it’s time for a parallel independent investigation with subject matter experts (SME) and the whistleblowers who’ve already come forward that myself and Rep. Eli Crane and Benny Johnson have spoken with,” Mills said. “I will be speaking with other members, and although I won’t have subpoena powers, I will personally fund whatever is required for additional staff to further investigation and expose the truth.”

In a post on the social platform X last week after visiting the rally site with Benny Johnson and Crane, Mills said the group conducted a “site survey” and held discussions with those at the rally, as well as with “a whistleblower who we will protect.”

Crane also expressed his disappointment in not being named to the task force by reposting a message from Benny Johnson on X saying it was “complete and total bull” that Mills and Crane were not chosen for the panel.

Speaker Johnson said last week that he wanted those on the panel to be members who “have expertise in the areas in question.”

The chair of the task force will be Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), who represents Butler, Pa., and was present at the rally during the shooting, and the ranking member will be Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), a former Army ranger and Bronze Star recipient who sits on the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees.

Other members on the Republican side include Rep. Mark Green (Tenn.), the chair of the Homeland Security Committee; Rep. Dave Joyce (Ohio), a former prosecutor and chair of the Appropriations subcommittee on Homeland Security; Rep. Mike Waltz (Fla.), who is retired from the Army Special Forces; and Rep. Clay Higgins (La.), a former police officer.

“We have the utmost confidence in this bipartisan group of steady, highly qualified and capable Members of Congress to move quickly to find the facts, ensure accountability and help make certain such failures never happen again,” Johnson and Jeffries said in a joint statement.