Sen. Rand Paul revealed that Washington prosecutors declined his request for a probe of who funded the protesters that gathered outside the White House and attacked him, his wife and others as they left the event over the summer.
In a tweet posted Monday, Paul (R-Ky.) wrote, “The DC U.S. Attorney today confirmed to me that they will not pursue an investigation of who is funding the thugs who attacked my wife and me and sent a DC police officer to the hospital.”
The Kentucky senator, along with scores of other GOP lawmakers and other guests, were attacked following the second night of the Republican National Convention, which President Trump moved to the White House as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The event, which took place in late August, occurred as protests had swept the nation following the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
On that August night where Paul and the other lawmakers were attacked, crowds also got violent with officers, whom the senator credited with keeping them alive during the incident.
Speaking to Fox News the morning after, Paul explained that “They were trying to push the police over to get to me. They were grabbing at us, and it got worse and worse and worse, and finally, we decided to make a move … they were shouting threats to us, to kill us, to hurt us.”
He went on to warn that, “My feeling is there is interstate criminal traffic being paid for across states lines, but you won’t know unless you arrest [the protesters],” adding that not all of the demonstrators were from the area.
“I promise you that at least some of the members in the people who attacked us were not from DC. They flew here on a plane, they all got fresh new clothes, and they were paid to be here. It is a crime to do that and it needs to be traced.”
As video of the attack began to circulate, Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf confirmed an investigation was underway into the funding of riots. Enlarge Image Paul and the other lawmakers were attacked that night by protesters and the senator credited law enforcement with keeping them alive during the incident.AP
“This is something that I have talked to the AG personally about,” Wolf told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson in early September, saying that the department is focused on “targeting and investigating the head of these organizations, [and] the individuals that are paying for these individuals to move across the country.
“What we know, Tucker, is that we have seen groups and individuals move from Portland to other parts of the country,” he continued.
It is unclear where that investigation has led, but Paul has been unsuccessful in getting the US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Michael Sherwin, to launch his own into the matter.
Sherwin’s office could not immediately be reached by The Post for comment.
A representative for Paul did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.