'Disappearance' of Trump Shooter's Body Sparks 'Cover-Up' Fury: Congressman Rages FBI Secretly Destroyed Thomas Crooks' Corpse

His corpse was at the centre of one of the biggest security gaffes in US history.

Yet RadarOnline.com can reveal the bloodied body of Donald Trump's wannabe assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks has been mysteriously "disappeared" as part of the FBI probe into the madman's deadly shooting – which almost killed the ex-US president and left 50-year-old former fire chief Corey Comperatore dead.

A congressman is now accusing the bureau of carrying out a "scorched earth" investigation into the carnage, adding his request to view Crooks' body "caused quite a stir" and revealed the "disturbing fact" it would never be seen by anyone again.

Rep Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican appointed to Congress' bipartisan task force reviewing the Trump assassination attempt, says he tried to view 20-year-old Crooks' body on August 5 as part of a personal probe into how he managed to rattle off a barrage of shots at Trump and his supporters at a July 13 MAGA rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

In a 'Preliminary Investigative Report' submitted to Congress and seen by RadarOnline.com, the ex-police captain blasted: "The FBI released the crime scene after just three days, much to everyone's surprise.

"I interviewed several First Responders who expressed everything from surprise to dismay to suspicion regarding the fact that the FBI released the crime scene so early after July 13.

"It should be noted that the FBI was fully aware of the fact that Congress would be investigating July 13.

"The FBI does not exist in a vacuum. They had to know that releasing the July 13 crime scene would injure the immediate observations of any following investigation.

"The FBI cleaned up biological evidence from the crime scene, which is unheard of. Cops don't do that, ever."

Higgins said he was also baffled and dismayed to learn the FBI had "released" Crooks’ body for cremation just 10 days after the Butler bloodbath.

He added: "My effort to examine Crooks’ body on Monday, August 5, caused quite a stir and revealed a disturbing fact... the FBI released the body for cremation 10 days after July 13.

"On July 23, Crooks was gone. Nobody knew this until Monday, August 5, including the County Coroner, law enforcement, Sheriff, etc.

"Yes, Butler County Coroner technically had legal authority over the body, but I spoke with the Coroner, and he would have never released Crooks' body to the family for cremation or burial without specific permission from the FBI."

Higgins also said the Coroner's and autopsy reports were both "late".

He added: "As of Monday, August 5, they were a week late. The problem with me not being able to examine the actual body is that I won't know 100% if the coroner's report and the autopsy report are accurate.

"We will actually never know. Yes, we’ll get the reports and pictures, etc, but I will not ever be able to say with certainty that those reports and pictures are accurate according to my own examination of the body.

"Again, similar to releasing the crime scene and scrubbing crime scene biological evidence... this action by the FBI can only be described by any reasonable man as an obstruction to any following investigative effort."

He stressed on July 23 – the day Crooks was cremated – the Homeland Security Committee and the Oversight Committee had kicked off their House Committee jurisdictional investigation into the loner’s shooting.

Speaker Johnson had also already stated that he was forming an Official Congressional investigative body.

Higgins added: "Why, then, by what measure, would the FBI release his body to the family for cremation?

"This pattern of investigative scorched earth by the FBI is quite troubling."

He concluded his report by warning "many questions remain" over the probe into Crooks' shooting and the "disappearance" of his body.

The congressman's report was filed as grave worries grow over how Crooks was able to almost kill Trump – with the 78-year-old dodging one of the would-be assassin's bullets by millimetres when he turned his head before on the rounds was rattled off.

RadarOnline.com was the first outlet in the world to publish a picture of Crooks after the lunatic clambered on to the roof of a building outside the security zone at the rally in Butler20 minutes before he was spotted by US Secret Service snipers.

Secret Service chief Kimberly Cheatle was forced to resign on July 23 over the security breach – but a huge number of questions remain unanswered over the assassination attempt, including Crooks' motive.

Higgins said he took it upon himself to investigate during a "boots on the ground" trip to Butler from August 4 to 6.

The preliminary investigate report in which he attacked the FBI over cremating Crooks' corpse was submitted to Task Force Chairman Mike Kelly on August 12 and has now been released to the public on Higgins' website.

His report also states a Butler SWAT operator was the first to fire at Trump's wannabe assassin from 100 yards away.

The congressman added the sniper then "ran towards the threat, running to a clear shot position directly into the line of fire".

He added in a single shot he fired at Crooks and hit part of his rifle – knocking the gunman off his position.

Higgins said "after just a few seconds" the shooter "popped back up" before he was fatally shot by a Secret Service sharpshooter.

Ahead of being elected to the lower house in 2016, Higgins worked as a police officer in Louisiana.

On July 29, the Louisiana congressman was named as one of seven Republican members of a bipartisan group tasked with probing Trump's attempted assassination.

The task force consists of seven Republicans and six Democrats and they are on a mission to rule on what went wrong on the day of the shooting.

It will also make recommendations to prevent future security lapses, with the task force set to issue a final report before December 13.

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