Florida is accusing the Department of Justice (DOJ) of unlawfully blocking its investigation into a recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. According to a lawsuit filed by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on Wednesday, the DOJ is preventing the state from conducting its own investigation while the federal government probes the incident.
The complaint claims that after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered state law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the gunman who shot at the former president in Florida, FBI officials told Florida to suspend its investigation. DOJ officials have also reportedly told Florida that it can only cooperate with the federal investigation and can’t interview witnesses.
Florida argues that federal law, 18 U.S.C.§ 351(f), which governs prosecutions for political assassination attempts, does not prohibit the state from investigating the incident. The state claims that the Tenth Amendment prohibits the federal government from “commandeering” the states in this manner. Florida is seeking a declaration that Sec. 351(f) doesn’t prohibit its investigation or that, as applied here, the statute is unconstitutional. The state is also seeking an injunction barring the DOJ from preventing its probe.
The DOJ has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter. The case is titled Florida v. Garland and was filed in the Southern District of Florida, with the complaint filed on October 23, 2024.
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