Ryan Routh, a suspected Trump assassin, will now face state charges in Florida in addition to the federal charges for which he has already pleaded not guilty.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier told “FOX & Friends” on Thursday that his office had obtained a warrant and was charging Routh with attempted first-degree murder and terrorism in an alleged plot to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course last September.
According to Uthmeier, the charges come after Florida officials claimed that the Biden Justice Department had previously stymied their investigations by claiming jurisdiction.
That prompted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to issue an executive order days after the Sept. 15 incident, authorizing state agencies to pursue charges such as attempted murder, which could result in a life sentence.
With Attorney General Pam Bondi and Director Kash Patel now in charge of the Justice Department and FBI, respectively, Uthmeier stated that his office has received cooperation and approval to charge Routh.
“We want a justice system that is willing to pursue justice no matter what party is in charge and Joe Biden and the Democrats did everything they could to drag their feet and refuse to cooperate with the state of Florida,” according to Uthmeier. “Under Attorney General Bondi, the Trump administration, and our new FBI director [Patel], it’s been a breath of fresh air, completely different. They’ve been transparent and cooperative.
Uthmeier stated that the state’s case will be handled in collaboration with the federal government. He stated that federal officials have made their evidentiary folder available to his office, and they intend to do the same. He also stated that more evidence in the case will be made public very soon.
The new charges come just days after federal prosecutors revealed Routh attempted to obtain military-grade weapons, including a rocket launcher, from a Ukrainian contact as part of an alleged assassination plan.
Routh instructed his associate to send him a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) or stinger to see what they could do. “[Trump] is bad for Ukraine,” according to court documents obtained by Fox News.
In September, Routh pleaded not guilty to federal charges including attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, assaulting a federal officer, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Routh is accused of carrying out the final stage of an attempted assassination plot against Trump.
Prosecutors say Routh set up a sniper hideout near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach before dawn on September 15. Routh is accused of positioning himself in anticipation of Trump’s arrival to play golf while armed with an illegally obtained military-grade SKS rifle.
However, before Trump arrived, Secret Service agents spotted Routh. When the agents confronted him, they opened fire, and Routh fled, abandoning his rifle, according to officials.
Authorities say he had a written escape plan, multiple burner phones, fake IDs, and stolen license plates with him when he attempted to flee. He was later arrested in Martin County on the same day.
On Monday, Routh’s defense filed court documents, including a 13-page motion alleging that law enforcement used “impermissibly suggestive” tactics when interviewing an eyewitness identified as T.C.M. They claim that the witness felt compelled to identify Routh due to the intense atmosphere created by the presence of multiple law enforcement agencies.
Routh’s trial is set to begin September 8.
Former Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody charged Routh with another felony attempted murder in December, claiming he was to blame for an accident that nearly killed a young girl when police shut down traffic after he fled.
