FACT CHECK: Has The FBI Still Not Gained Access To Thomas Matthew Crooks’ Phone?
A screenshot of a tweet shared on Instagram claims the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) still has not gained access to Thomas Matthew Crooks’ phone months after Crooks allegedly shot President-elect Donald Trump.
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Verdict: False
The FBI indicated it had gained access to Crooks’ phone and was analyzing his electronic devices in a July 14 statement shared via its website. An FBI spokesperson confirmed the bureau was able to gain access to Crooks’ phone in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Trump has filed an emergency petition asking the Supreme Court to block sentencing in his hush money payments case, according to Fox News. New York Judge Juan Merchan has scheduled Trump’s sentencing in the case for January 10, the outlet reported.
The screenshot of the tweet shared via Instagram claims the FBI still has not gained access to Crooks’ phone months after Crooks allegedly shot Trump.
“Remember, they still haven’t cracked this kid’s phone. Yet they are falling over themselves to tell you all about the Vegas cybertruck bomber and giving a random influencer an all access [sic] pass to the home of the New Orleans attacker… Weird…,” the text of the tweet reads.
The original post, shared on X, has amassed over three million views as of writing.
The claim is false. The FBI indicated it had gained access to Crooks’ phone and was analyzing his electronic devices in a July 15 statement shared via its website. “FBI technical specialists successfully gained access to Thomas Matthew Crooks’ phone, and they continue to analyze his electronic devices,” the statement read.
Likewise, the FBI does not appear to have referenced the false claim regarding accessing Crooks’ phone on its website or its associated social media accounts. (RELATED: No, Trump Is Not The First President To ‘Avoid An Inauguration’)
In addition, Check Your Fact did not find any credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. Both PolitiFact and Lead Stories recently debunked the claim. According to Politifact, the FBI initially struggled to gain access to foreign-based encrypted accounts on Crooks’ devices but ultimately succeeded with the help of foreign partners.
Furthermore, an FBI spokesperson confirmed the bureau was able to gain access to Crooks’ phone in an email to Check Your Fact.
“The FBI was able to access his phone and other electronic devices,” the spokesperson said.
Crooks allegedly shot Trump in the ear during a July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, according to Reuters. He was fatally shot by a Secret Service counter-sniper, The Associated Press reported.
