Florida is suing the federal government over a Justice Department decision to block the state from investigating a second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
In a complaint filed Wednesday, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody argued the state has a right to investigate given the attempt happened at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course, located about 20 miles north of Mar-a-Lago.
“It is very common for state investigators, state prosecutors, to work with our federal prosecutors and federal agencies, on dual tracks with different purposes," Moody said after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order on Sept. 17 to launch a state-level investigation.
This deranged, would-be assassin broke Florida law, and we will not wait on the federal government to act. Florida is launching its own investigation, and I have directed my statewide prosecutors to assist @fdlepio and @FLHSMV FHP as we work quickly to uncover the facts behind… pic.twitter.com/5s0vQeFcIw
— AG Ashley Moody (@AGAshleyMoody) September 17, 2024
Moody’s lawsuit against Attorney General Merrick Garland stems around a federal law that she says bars Florida from getting involved in the Justice Department’s investigation.
She alleges in her 18-page complaint that this violates the 10th Amendment, which protects state governments from federal overreach.
"Almost immediately, however, federal officials began taking steps to halt the State's investigation," Moody wrote.
“In conversations with federal officials and in subsequent correspondence, these officials have stated that Florida may not conduct its own investigation, may not interview witnesses, and may only cooperate with the federal government’s investigation."
The Florida attorney is asking for a federal judge to rule the Justice Department’s actions as unconstitutional.