Staff Reports
The latest FOIA fight over the Butler rally shooting is a mess that smells like secrecy, spin and sloppy social media sleuthing. Judicial Watch released a heavily redacted batch of FBI pages and shouted that a “Butler County deputy” emailed the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, before the attack. The FBI and local sheriffs pushed back. The truth sits somewhere in the redactions — and the public deserves the rest of the page.
What the new FBI pages show — and what they don’t
The Judicial Watch FOIA release did produce 48 pages of FBI material. That sounds like a win for transparency. But the pages are so blacked out you could write a better mystery novel. The documents include interview summaries and references to emails tied to Crooks. What they do not include — in public view — are the full emails, clear sender or recipient names, or the subject lines. So no, these pages do not prove a local deputy coordinated or helped the shooter. They do, however, raise questions that deserve straight answers, not click-bait headlines.
Who is spinning the record?
Pick your favorite media spin: Judicial Watch stacked the headlines to suggest direct contact between a deputy and the shooter. The FBI’s Rapid Response account called the framing a “CLICK BAIT LIE,” and said some of the unredacted material actually shows college instructors emailing Crooks about coursework. Local sheriffs were quick to stamp out false name-and-county pairings that cropped up on social media. Translation: pieces of the truth exist in the files, but some players rushed to build a bigger story than the paper supports. That’s irresponsible from both sides — and dangerous when it drags officers’ reputations through the mud.
Why this matters for trust in law enforcement and FOIA
People on both sides of the aisle should be upset. If the FBI hid material that proves a bad actor had inside help, that is a scandal and must be exposed. If Judicial Watch or social media invents links that do not exist in the pages, that is equally corrosive. The public loses trust either way. FBI Director Kash Patel and his team insist Crooks acted alone after a massive probe. If new, credible evidence exists, the bureau should show it. If it does not, the American people deserve the full unredacted record or a clear explanation for each redaction.
What to watch next
Judicial Watch says it will keep suing for more records and has asked Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice to force fuller disclosures. Reporters should push for the unredacted emails and for clarity about who is referenced in the files. Don’t fall for social posts that name deputies without proof. At the same time, don’t accept blanket denials from the FBI without scrutiny. The safe play for liberty and public safety is simple: release what you can, explain what you can’t, and stop trying to win the narrative on X while the real facts stay hidden behind black bars.
