A group of leading bipartisan senators, including members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, are demanding answers from FBI Director Christopher Wray and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Their inquiry stems from the arrest of Asif Merchant, a Pakistani national, who was charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ) with orchestrating a scheme to assassinate a politician or U.S. official, potentially former President Trump.
The senators, in a joint letter to Wray and Mayorkas, expressed concern over the alleged Iranian agent’s alleged plot. Court documents detailed Merchant’s efforts to recruit individuals to carry out his assassination plan, dating back to April 2024 when he travelled from Pakistan to Houston, Texas. The senators cited a Fox News Digital report that indicated the FBI was monitoring Merchant before his entry into the U.S., highlighting the bureau’s need for him to enter the country to solidify their case and arrest him.
The senators’ letter raises crucial questions about the FBI and DHS’s awareness of Merchant and his alleged plot. They specifically inquired about the timeline of the FBI’s knowledge of Merchant, the information shared with the Secret Service, and whether the FBI sponsored Significant Public Benefit Parole (SPBP) for Merchant, enabling his entry into the U.S. on a temporary basis.
The lawmakers also questioned the information exchange between the FBI and DHS before Merchant’s entry. They sought clarification on whether the FBI informed DHS about Merchant’s assassination plot and the timing of DHS officials becoming aware of him. The senators noted that their previous request for documents and information from DHS and the FBI regarding potential threats leading up to the July 13, 2024, rally, where Trump survived an assassination attempt, remains outstanding. This initial request, made on July 24, followed an incident where Trump was rushed offstage during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, after a gunshot wounded his ear, killed one spectator, and critically injured two others. The senators’ latest letter further seeks an explanation of any investigative steps taken by federal law enforcement to explore a potential connection between Merchant’s assassination plot and the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt against Trump.
The FBI confirmed receipt of the senators’ letter but declined to comment. DHS did not provide a comment in time for publication. This investigation continues to raise significant questions about national security vulnerabilities and the potential for foreign interference in U.S. politics.
