Photo: Alamy
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order on Tuesday authorizing a criminal investigation into the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.
DeSantis argued that the case against suspect Ryan Routh should be investigated by the state since the same federal agencies seeking to prosecute Trump are leading the investigation.
“I am assigning this case regarding the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump to the Office of the Statewide Prosecutor,” said DeSantis. “I have directed state agencies to move expeditiously and to provide full transparency to the public.”
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody also expressed the importance of the state’s investigation in the statement released from the governor’s office.
“This deranged, would-be assassin broke Florida law, and we will not wait on the federal government to act,” said Moody. “Florida is launching its own investigation, and I have directed my statewide prosecutors to assist FDLE and FHP, as we work quickly to uncover the facts behind this latest attempt on President Trump’s life and provide trust and transparency to the American people.”
DeSantis also shared another key reason for the state’s investigation in a response shared on video Tuesday.
“What the state does is going to be made public,” he said. “I mean, you guys know who are from Florida, you can FOIA a lot of the stuff that’s done in these investigations under Florida sunshine laws. And then they have a charge to be very frank and exercise candor with the public. I want the information to get out. I do not want any of the information kept under wraps.”
DeSantis took to X on Sunday to first express his plans for Florida to conduct its own investigation.
“The State of Florida will be conducting its own investigation regarding the attempted assassination at Trump International Golf Club. The people deserve the truth about the would be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee,” he wrote.
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Dave Kerner further noted his agency’s role in the investigation in the governor’s statement.
“We accept this mission with humility and know that with our law enforcement partners, Florida will get to the bottom of this. We will be transparent with the public and hold the suspect accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” he wrote.