Officials in Butler County, Pennsylvania, are facing criticism for refusing to release 911 recordings from the rally where former President Donald Trump was injured in an apparent assassination attempt. The incident, which occurred on July 13, has raised questions about the actions of law enforcement agencies and the timeline of events. The public remains in the dark about important details, such as when rally attendees alerted law enforcement to the gunman and how officers coordinated their response.
The Intercept, a news outlet, submitted a request for copies of the recorded 911 calls under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law. However, the county denied the request, citing a statute that generally exempts 911 recordings from disclosure. The county’s policy is to only release 911 audio under court order or by subpoena. This denial has sparked controversy, as a provision in state law allows agencies and courts to release 911 recordings if the public interest in disclosure outweighs the interest in nondisclosure.
The Intercept argued that the attempted assassination of a former president and current presidential candidate should qualify as an overwhelming public interest. However, the county did not respond to these arguments or requests to release the recordings under this provision. As a result, The Intercept filed an appeal to the state Office of Open Records.
Other press outlets attempting to obtain the 911 recordings have also faced obstacles. Melissa Bevan Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, stated that the carveout in the law is intended for situations where the public interest in the recordings is high, such as this one. The refusal to release the recordings has been deemed impermissible by attorney Joy Ramsingh, who previously adjudicated Office of Open Records appeals. Ramsingh believes that potential embarrassment to the agency should not be a factor in the decision to release the recordings.
The public’s interest in hearing these recordings is considered legitimate and compelling. The recordings could provide crucial information about the incident and help shed light on what happened. The refusal to address the public’s interest in the recordings has raised concerns and led to speculation that potential embarrassment to the agency may be a motivating factor.
In conclusion, the refusal by officials in Butler County, Pennsylvania, to release the 911 recordings from the Trump rally shooting has sparked controversy and raised questions about transparency. The public remains uninformed about important details of the incident, and press outlets have faced obstacles in obtaining the recordings. The public’s interest in hearing these recordings is considered significant, and the denial to release them has been deemed impermissible. The Intercept has filed an appeal to the state Office of Open Records, seeking the release of the recordings. The outcome of this appeal will determine whether the public will have access to this crucial information.