Fact Check: Yes, Trump Rally Shooter Once Donated Money to a Democratic Cause
Alex Kasprak
·3 min read
Getty Images
Claim:
Thomas Crooks, the 20-year-old man who attempted to assassinate former U.S. President Donald Trump, once donated money to a political action committee aligned with the Democratic Party.
Rating:
Rating: True
Following the attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump on July 13, 2024, reporters and online sleuths scoured public records to see whether they could infer the shooter's motive.
With that digging, two seemingly conflicting rumors emerged about the 20-year-old shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks. First, he was supposedly registered to vote as a Republican. (Snopes confirmed the legitimacy of that claim in a separate fact check.) Second, he had allegedly donated money to a Democratic-leaning political action committee on the day President Joe Biden took his oath of office, Jan. 20, 2021.
That latter assertion also was true. Crooks, who was shot dead by law enforcement after opening fire at the Trump rally, indeed donated $15 to the Progressive Turnout Project, a PAC that aims to get Democrats to vote, according to Federal Election Commission. The record shows the donation occurred on Jan. 20, 2021.
That said, some social media users claimed a 69-year-old Pittsburgh man with the same name as Trump's would-be assassin — Thomas Crooks — had actually made that donation.
Several X users made that argument with copy-and-pasted text began, "Another MAGA talking point down the drain."
The argument rested, largely, on two facts: that an older, unrelated Thomas Crooks with a connection to the city of Pittsburgh existed, and that the in-question FEC records listed Pittsburgh as the donor's city.
Based on a search of public records, it is true that several individuals, including a 69-year-old man, named "Thomas Crooks" have or have had a connection to Pittsburgh. However, there was no evidence connecting these individuals to the in-question $15 donation to the Democratic-leaning PAC; the FEC filing lists a street address and ZIP code that don't exist in Pittsburgh.
However, when looking at the FEC filing for the donation, nearly every field was an exact match to the other Thomas Crooks — Trump's would-be assassin. In particular, that Thomas Crooks lived in Bethel Park, a Pittsburgh suburb. Authorities confirmed that the shooter was from Bethel Park, and voter registration records, among other things, provide his specific address.
The donation to the Progressive Turnout Project was made through ActBlue, which is another Democratic PAC that serves as a fundraising platform. Many political groups and campaigns use ActBlue for fundraising. As a result, FEC records show such donations as contributions to ActBlue, with notes indicating the specific target of the money. In this case, the note said, " earmarked for Progressive Turnout Project."
The full address associated with the donation appears within a February 2021 FEC document (page 189,746) listing all of Act Blue's donations during the previous month. That street address and ZIP code match the home of the shooter, according to a public records search and photos of police searching the home.
Considering that address match, and the fact that the location on the in-question FEC filing does not exist in Pittsburgh, evidence favors the conclusion that the shooter made the donation — not someone else with the same name.
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What to Know About Thomas Matthew Crooks, Shooter Who Opened Fire at Donald Trump Rally
Greg Hanlon
·2 min read
The FBI said the July 13 shooting in Butler, Pa., was an "attempted assassination"
Anna Moneymaker/Getty
Early on Sunday, July 14, the FBI identified, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pa., as the man who opened fire at a Donald Trump rally in Butler, Pa., in what the bureau called an "assassination attempt."
According to voter records, Crooks was a registered Republican, but he is too young to have ever voted in a presidential election, according to the AP, Reuters and The New York Times.
In 2021, Crooks made a $15 donation to a political action committee that supports Democratic politicians. The donation was earmarked for the Progressive Turnout Project, which aims to get out increase voting among Democrats.
At the time of the donation, Crooks would have been too young to vote himself.
Bethel Park is approximately 50 miles from Butler, where the shooting took place. Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022, the school district confirmed in a statement. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Crooks received a National Math & Science Initiative Star Award in 2022, for which he received $500.
Crooks was not carrying identification, so he was identified with DNA, the FBI said, according to CBS.
At a press briefing late on Saturday, July 13, Kevin Rojek, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Field Office in Pittsburgh, said authorities do not know the shooter's motive.
CNN reports that the outlet briefly spoke to Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, late on July 13. Matthew Crooks said he was still trying to find out “what the hell is going on,” and declined to talk about his son until he spoke with law enforcement.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty
The Secret Service said after the shooting that the shooter was declared deceased after he was "neutralized." One person at the rally was killed and two were critically injured. All three of those people were adult males, authorities said.
The Secret Service said after the shooting that Trump was safe and had been taken to the hospital. Subsequently, he left Pennsylvania and spent the night at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., CBS reports.
In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump wrote, in part, "Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA."
Anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is asked to call the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
A 2020 high school yearbook shows the photo of Thomas Matthew Crooks.
The FBI identified Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the person behind the assassination attempt. Agency officials released little additional information, saying its investigation remains active and ongoing. They did not indicate what Crooks' motive might have been.
Crooks worked at a nearby nursing home. An administrator there told USA TODAY that the company was shocked to learn of the shooting and that Crooks had passed a background check for his job.
FBI special agent Kevin Rojek said on a call with media Sunday afternoon that authorities found "a suspicious device" when they searched the shooter's vehicle. Bomb technicians inspected the device and rendered it safe.
"I'm not in a position to provide any expertise on the specific components of any potential bombs or suspicious packages," Rojek added.
Rojek said law enforcement is sending the rifle and Crooks' cell phone, along with other evidence, to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia "for processing and exploitation."
"We're in the process of searching his phone," Rojek said.
Crooks is registered to vote as a Republican in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, according to county voter records. His voter registration status has been active since 2021.
Federal Election Commission records show that in January 2021, Crooks made a $15 donation to the Progressive Turnout Project, a group working to increase voter turnout for Democrats.
Born Sept. 20, 2003, Crooks does not have a criminal record in Pennsylvania, nor has he been sued there, according to state court records. There is no record of him in federal court databases, either.
Bill Ranft holds a 2020 yearbook depicting Thomas Matthew Crooks in the Pennsylvania neighborhood where Crooks grew up, Sunday, July 14, 2024.
Where did Thomas Crooks work?
Crooks worked as a dietary aid, a job that generally involves food preparation, at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, less than a mile from his home. In a statement provided to USA TODAY on Sunday, Marcie Grimm, the facility's administrator, said she was "shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement."
Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation seen Sunday, July, 14, 2024.
"Thomas Matthew Crooks performed his job without concern and his background check was clean," Grimm said. "We are fully cooperating with law enforcement officials at this time. Due to the ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further on any specifics. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Former President Trump and the victims impacted by this terrible tragedy. We condemn all acts of violence."
The facility is owned by Kennett Square, Pennsylvania-based Genesis Healthcare. A job posting from the company for a dietary aid in the Pittsburgh area puts the pay at $16 an hour.
Thomas Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania
Crooks' home address is listed in Bethel Park, a suburb in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, voter records show. That three-bedroom brick house has been owned since 1998 by Matthew and Mary Crooks, who appear to be his parents. Telephone calls to the couple were not returned overnight.
Near the Crooks home, Dean Sierka, 52, said he had known Crooks and his parents for years, as neighbors separated by only a few houses. Sierka’s daughter attended school with Crooks from elementary school through Bethel Park High School, and said she remembers him as quiet and shy.
Dean and his daughter said they would see Crooks at least once a week, often when Crooks was walking to work.
“You wouldn’t have expected this,” Dean Sierka said. “The parents and the family are all really nice people.”
At Bethel Park High School
Thomas Crooks graduated two years ago from Bethel Park High School, the Bethel Park School District confirmed. He was included in a 2022 local news article about recipients of a National Math & Science Initiative Star Award at the public high school, which enrolls about 1,300 students.
Jason Kohler attended Bethel Park High School with Crooks and said he remembers the 20-year-old sat alone at lunch and was “bullied almost every day.” Kids picked on Crooks for wearing camouflage to class and his quiet demeanor, Kohler, 21, said.
Since hearing Crooks has been named as the shooter, Kohler has been speaking with classmates who knew him, most of whom are stunned by the news.“It’s really hard to comprehend,” he said.
Sean Eckert said he went to school with Crooks from 5th through 12th grade. He said Crooks always went by “Tom.“
They shared classes together in elementary and middle school. Eckert said Crooks, though "fairly smart," was quiet and rarely spoke up.
Eckert said Crooks did not seem to have many friends. He didn't recall Crooks being playing any sports, being involved in any clubs or student groups or going to popular campus events. He often wore hunting clothes, so Eckert assumed he hunted.
No one in Eckert's group text from high school seemed to know Crooks very well, he said. They were shocked that someone from their town had done this. They were even more surprised that it was Tom Crooks.
The gaming-oriented online site Discord said Sunday that it had found an account that appeared to be linked to the shooting suspect. The site removed the account, which “was rarely utilized, has not been used in months, and we have found no evidence that it was used to plan this incident, promote violence, or discuss his political views,“ according to a statement from a Discord spokesperson, adding that the company will coordinate closely with law enforcement.
Crooks was a member of the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, a shooting club about 8 miles from his home. It is a sprawling complex of 180 acres with rifle, pistol and archery ranges, an area for dog training and a clubhouse, according to the club website.An attorney for the club, Robert Bootay III, confirmed Crooks' membership in an email to USA TODAY, but would not offer additional details.
Where is Bethel Park, Pennsylvania?
Bethel Park is a suburb of Pittsburgh and home to more than 32,000 people – about one thousand fewer than four years ago, according to the latest Census estimates.
The majority-white, mostly college-educated community has a median household income of $102,177.
Described as a charming retreat from the hustle and bustle of the big city to its north, Bethel Park boasts tree-line streets, friendly neighborhoods and a low crime rate.
Bethel Park is about 42 miles south of Butler, where the Trump rally was held. The leafy suburban street was alive with law enforcement overnight amid a multi-agency response to the shooting. A member of the Allegheny County bomb squad told reporters his team was headed into the house around midnight, but did not say why.
For hours afterward, the scene remained quiet, with deer passing under the police tape and an occasional neighbor stepping out of their house to see what was happening.
John Wolf, a local construction superintendent who lives down the road, said he’d talked with several worried neighbors.
“People are scared,” Wolf said.
How did Crooks shoot at Trump?
Crooks had been positioned on a rooftop more than 100 yards from the rally site, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said. Law enforcement recovered an AR-style rifle from the scene.
Joseph Price, special agent in charge of the ATF in Pittsburgh, said the weapon used by the shooter was a rifle.“It was nothing special,” he said in an interview in the parking lot of the Butler Township Municipal Building.
Law enforcement is following up on a “number of suspicious occurrences,” said Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police, including accounts from witnesses who said they tried to flag police about the activity of a person outside the rally moments before the shooting.
The FBI said in a news release that the situation “remains an active and ongoing investigation, and anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is encouraged to submit photos or videos online at FBI.gov/butler or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
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