WASHINGTON – Following the events of July 13, 2024, President Joe Biden directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct an independent security review of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas is naming a bipartisan panel with extensive law enforcement and security experience to conduct a 45-day independent review of the planning for and actions taken by the U.S. Secret Service and state and local authorities before, during, and after the rally, and the U.S. Secret Service governing policies and procedures.
The independent review panel of experts from outside of government will be comprised of former DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano; Ms. Frances Townsend, former Homeland Security Advisor to President George W. Bush; the Hon. Mark Filip, a former federal judge and Deputy Attorney General to President George W. Bush; and Chief David Mitchell, the former superintendent of Maryland State Police and former Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security for the State of Delaware. Secretary Mayorkas could invite additional experts to join the panel in the coming days.
“We are committed to getting to the bottom of what happened on July 13, and I am grateful to the distinguished members of this independent review who will bring decades of expertise in law enforcement and security operations to this important investigation,” said Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Ensuring the safety and security of current and former Presidents is critical and one of our Department’s top priorities. The men and women of the Secret Service make it the greatest protective service in the world, with one of the most solemn and difficult missions in government. This independent review will examine what happened and provide actionable recommendations to ensure they carry out their no-fail mission most effectively and to prevent something like this from ever happening again.”
As the President announced on July 14, the Administration is committed to sharing the results of this review with the American people. Secretary Mayorkas has also encouraged the panel members to notify him of recommendations that require immediate attention in real time, so changes can be quickly implemented if needed. The independent review will be conducted in such a way as to not interfere with the FBI’s ongoing criminal investigation or any other criminal investigation.
The bipartisan panel brings to the investigation expertise in law enforcement, protective security, and homeland security at the local, state, and federal level. As Secretary of Homeland Security from 2009 to 2013, Janet Napolitano led the nation’s efforts to prevent terrorist attacks, secure its borders, respond to natural disasters, and build domestic resiliency. She oversaw the U.S. Secret Service and also led critical enhancements to aviation security, including initiatives like the creation of TSA Pre✓® that bolster security while improving the travel experience and the expansion of programs like Global Entry and pre-clearance. She was the first woman and is to date the longest-serving Secretary of Homeland Security. She previously served as the twentieth president of the University of California, from 2013 to 2020 and governor of Arizona from 2003-2009. She is currently the founder of the Center for Security in Politics and Professor of Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.
Ms. Frances Townsend served as Assistant to President George W. Bush for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism from 2004 to 2008 and chaired the Homeland Security Council. She also served as Deputy National Security Advisor for Combatting Terrorism from May 2003 to May 2004. Ms. Townsend previously spent 13 years at the U.S. Department of Justice under the administrations of President George H. W. Bush, President Bill Clinton, and President George W. Bush. Ms. Townsend served on the Director of National Intelligence’s Senior Advisory Group, the Central Intelligence Agency’s External Advisory Board and the U.S. President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.
The Hon. Mark Filip served as Deputy Attorney General from 2008-2009, overseeing the Department of Justice’s criminal and civil enforcement efforts. He previously served as a federal court judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois after unanimous, bipartisan confirmation by the U.S. Senate following his nomination by President George W. Bush in 2003. In 2014, Mr. Filip served on the panel tasked with reviewing and recommending reforms to the United States Secret Service Protective Mission. Mr. Filip is currently a partner at the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where he is a member of the firm’s global management committee.
Chief David B. Mitchell brings four decades of law enforcement experience to this review. From 1990 to 1995, he served as Chief of Police for Prince George’s County, Maryland, prior to being appointed Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, the seventh largest state police department in the nation. He led the force during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the D.C. sniper case in 2003. In 2004, he was appointed Secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security for the State of Delaware. He currently serves as the Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police for the University of Maryland, College Park Campus.
“All Americans share a concern about the safety of our public officials,” said the members of the independent review panel in a joint statement. “We formed this bipartisan group to quickly identify improvements the U.S. Secret Service can implement to enhance their work. We must all work together to ensure events like July 13 do not happen again.”
In response to the ongoing heightened threat environment, the Secret Service enhanced former President Trump’s protection prior to the assassination attempt in July, and since July 16, the U.S. Secret Service made significant physical and technical enhancements related to securing the former President and other protectees.
