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Federal authorities have arrested the son of the person believed to be involved in the failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Florida on suspicion of having pictures of child sexual abuse.
Oran Routh was taken into custody this week during a search of his Greensboro, North Carolina, residence “in connection with an investigation unrelated to child exploitation,” according to a court filing by an FBI official.
According to court documents, investigators confiscated many electronic devices and discovered hundreds of files showing child sexual abuse. He is accused of obtaining and having two sets of materials that involve child sexual abuse.
“Oran Routh’s father is Ryan Wesley Routh, who is accused in the assassination attempt of Trump at a golf course in Florida earlier this month. Ryan Routh has been charged with federal gun offenses but prosecutors have indicated much more serious attempted assassination charges were coming. A federal judge on Monday agreed with Justice Department prosecutors that Ryan Routh should remain locked up while he awaits trial in his case,” the Associated Press reported.
“Prosecutors have said Ryan Routh left behind a note detailing his plans to k*** the former president and kept in his car a handwritten list of dates and venues where Trump was to appear. The note describing Routh’s plans was placed in a box that he dropped off months earlier at the home of an unidentified person who did not open it until after Ryan Routh’s arrest, prosecutors said,” the outlet added.
NEW: Oran Routh, whose father Ryan Routh was charged in connection with an apparent attempt to assassinate Donald Trump in Florida, was arrested today on charges tied to child pornography possession. pic.twitter.com/GdfYztnXCU
— Chloe Atkins (@chloe_aatkins) September 24, 2024
🚨 #BREAKING: Oran Routh, the son of would-be Trump ass*ssin Ryan Routh, has just been arrested on federal child p*rn charges
Interesting timing!
The feds raided Oran’s residence on Saturday, and discovered “hundreds” of files with child p*rn, and they’re saying this is… pic.twitter.com/GzvHqH9bRM
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 24, 2024
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that the Biden-Harris administration not only isn’t cooperating with state agencies looking into the latest assassination plot against former President Donald Trump but that federal law enforcement is actively thwarting the state’s investigation.
In an interview Thursday with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, the two-term governor and former 2024 GOP presidential candidate said state investigators were “rebuffed” by federal authorities when they attempted to gain access to a site where the alleged attacker, Ryan Routh, 58, laid in wait for Trump as he played a round of golf last Sunday at his course near Palm Beach.
“I want to turn to another topic because we were relieved to hear that you are doing your own independent investigation in Florida concerning the second assassination attempt on President Trump,” Ingraham noted to begin her segment with DeSantis on Thursday. “My question to you tonight is, are the Feds being cooperative with your investigation? Are you concerned that you’re not getting the information you need?”
“The answer is, no, they’re not being cooperative. Yes, I am concerned. I mean, for example, we were rebuffed. Our investigators were rebuffed just going to the fence line outside of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach,” DeSantis said.
“And so, I think they’ve taken the position they don’t want the state of Florida to be involved in this. But here’s the thing: there were multiple violations of Florida law across multiple jurisdictions. We think at least three judicial circuits. This guy, Ryan Routh, committed potential violations of Florida law,” he continued.
“So, we have a duty to investigate this. We have a duty to bring the appropriate charges, and we also have a duty to inform the public about how this happened, so I don’t anticipate they’re being cooperative,” the governor added. “I think that they’ve just taken that position, and I think that that’s unfortunate because even though I’ve been very clear, the state of Florida is going to do an investigation. You know, I’ve not disputed their right to also investigate. It’s the federal government he was in their protective custody as a presidential candidate.
“But let us do this. So, hopefully, that tune will change. But I can tell you right now, Laura, we have not gotten a lot of receptive, receptive response” from the Biden-Harris administration, DeSantis said.
Later in the interview, Ingraham and DeSantis discussed the clouded history of Routh and what led him to plan an assassination attempt against Trump.
“How did he end up in Florida to begin with? What does this pathway this guy has taken to end up in those bushes trying to assassinate the former President of the United States and current Republican nominee?” DeSantis said.
“How did that happen? And we have not gotten answers about Butler” Pennsylvania, the site of the first assassination attempt against Trump in July, the governor continued. “We haven’t gotten answers about things like the Las Vegas shooting from many years ago.
“So, part of the investigation that our folks are doing is they are going to provide evidence they find of motive, evidence of his associations and evidence of his beliefs. I think that’s very important that the public get the real story on that,” he said.
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