One quick bite of news: Several sources tell us that George Helmy, the former chief of staff to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, is a top candidate to fill the Garden State’s soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat.
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) announced he would resign Aug. 20 following his conviction on 16 federal bribery and corruption counts. Whoever is appointed to replace Menendez will serve until January. Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) is favored to win the race to succeed Menendez.
First in Punchbowl News: The House’s bipartisan task force to investigate the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump is taking its first official act today, kicking off a four-month sprint that will put several key agencies in the hot seat.
Task force chair Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and ranking member Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) are sending a pair of letters to the Justice and Homeland Security departments today requesting all information and records that have already been produced for any House or Senate committees in relation to the shooting.
The panel is also requesting a staff briefing from both DOJ and DHS no later than Aug. 16 “to discuss the Task Force’s priorities with respect to documents and information moving forward.”
One letter is addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray. The other was sent to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Secret Service acting Director Ronald Rowe Jr.
Kelly and Crow also make clear that their panel is taking the reins of the investigative effort in the House, writing that “the Task Force’s requests for documents and information henceforth supersede all other requests from House Committees and Members” and that the agencies “should produce documents and information directly to the Task Force from this point forward.”
Before the task force was established late last month, several committees had already started investigating the security failures surrounding the Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pa., where a gunman opened fire from a rooftop 150 yards away from the stage. Two people were killed, including the gunman, while Trump was injured in the attack.
Some disturbing details have already emerged from briefings, hearings and media reports, including about an apparent breakdown in communication between local law enforcement and the Secret Service on the day of the attack. Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned one day after a disastrous performance in front of the House Oversight Committee.
But the task force will now supersede those investigations and begin its own work on the July 13 shooting. Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries were heavily involved in the creation of the task and jointly announced their selections for the panel.
For Republicans, it’s an opportunity to put a high-profile spotlight on an issue that is deeply personal to Trump. And Democrats, who strategically decided to participate in the task force, will have a key window into the work.
While Republicans have ultimate control over the direction of the probe given the partisan 7-6 split on the committee among Republicans and Democrats, Kelly and Crow are sending a strong signal that they anticipate working in lockstep with one another.
The task force has until Dec. 13 to produce a report with potential legislative recommendations. The brunt of the work will take place behind the scenes, but Kelly told us earlier this month he anticipates having some hearings to showcase their findings.
Kelly, whose district includes Butler, also wants to schedule a site visit for task force members, though the timing is still being worked out and may need to wait until after the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week.
Staffing update: Democrats have tapped Giancarlo Pellegrini to be their staff director, we’re told.
Pellegrini, a Harvard Law grad, has served as counsel for several House committees, including the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. Pellegrini also previously worked for former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
