Judicial Watch criticizes FBI's 12-year timeline for Butler shooting files

Judicial Watch President Thomas Fitton criticized the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its slow release of documents related to the 2024 assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Fitton stated that the FBI's current processing rate would take 12 years to complete the review of approximately 75,000 pages. He described the timeline as unacceptable, noting that Judicial Watch would not be able to challenge withheld materials until a decade and a half from now.

The dispute stems from a lawsuit Judicial Watch filed against the U.S. Department of Justice in 2025. The organization had previously submitted a Freedom of Information Act request in July 2024 for files pertaining to the FBI's investigation of Thomas Matthew Crooks, who opened fire at a rally. The initial request was rejected by the FBI, but the subsequent litigation has resulted in the release of multiple batches of documents.

Recent disclosures included a series of text messages sent by Crooks to an unidentified recipient between May 2023 and January 2024. The FBI redacted the recipient's name before providing the documents to Judicial Watch. Fitton expressed concern over the withholding of this identity, arguing that the public has an interest in knowing who Crooks was communicating with. He suggested that the handling of these records creates an appearance of a cover-up, comparing the situation to historical precedents of withheld information.

The released texts consisted of short, often nonsensical phrases such as "Hello red," "Hdudhdbdbbd," and "Yolo." Fitton acknowledged that potential correspondents have a reasonable expectation of privacy but argued that this interest must be weighed against the public interest in understanding how a former president was nearly killed and two American citizens died. He stated that unless the court accelerates the process, Judicial Watch will continue to speak out publicly to pressure the FBI and DOJ.

Earlier document releases also detailed Crooks' actions immediately before he climbed onto the roof of the AGR International building to fire his weapon. Fitton noted that Crooks engaged in a heated verbal altercation with rally attendees on the ground just before moving to the roof. He described Crooks' behavior as erratic and public, contrasting it with furtive actions. Fitton attributed the slow release pace to the FBI's typical approach to transparency, which he characterized as offering very little information. Fox News Digital contacted both the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service for comment regarding Fitton's remarks.