The conversations about planning were revealed in a letter about an investigation by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

Butler County law enforcement officials allegedly told Grassley’s staff that they were assured by the Secret Service that the AGR Complex building would be “take[n] care of” during a July 11 walkthrough after concerns were raised about the complex multiple times.

“My ongoing investigation … has exposed significant security weaknesses and outright failures in how key U.S. agencies, including the Secret Service, ensure the safety and security of U.S. leaders,” Grassley wrote in a letter obtained by the Washington Examiner to acting Secret Service Director Ron Rowe on Tuesday.

“Moreover, the second attempted assassination against former President Trump on September 15, 2024, raises further questions about the Secret Service’s ability to fulfill its protective mission. This calls for continuing oversight to make sure failures are not repeated,” the letter continued.

According to Grassley’s investigation, concerns about securing the complex were “specifically flagged for two Secret Service agents and a Secret Service counter sniper.”

In addition, documents obtained by Grassley’s office show the position of “Secret Service counter snipers and specifically the location of Butler County counter snipers as ‘Inside AGR Building.’”

Whistleblower disclosures obtained by Grassley’s office also revealed that 22 “post standers” were assigned to the Butler event. Sixteen of them were from other federal agencies besides the Secret Service.

The Iowa Republican criticized Rowe for not following through on his promise to provide transparency in the Secret Service investigation of the July 13 assassination attempt.

“Due to that failure,” Grassley wrote, “I’ve had to go around the Secret Service to get answers.”

Grassley requested that Rowe “provide answers and a responsive production of records to this letter” no later than Sept. 24. The Washington Examiner also reached out to the Secret Service to inquire about the allegations from Grassley’s investigation.

Tensions have escalated to a new level, with the 2024 election less than two months away. Just days after the Butler assassination attempt, when Trump was shot in the ear, one bystander was killed, and two people were critically injured, a ski mask-wearing man with a concealed AK-47 pistol was arrested near the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Iran-tied Pakistani national Asif Merchant was also arrested in July while attempting to flee the country after allegedly paying what he believed to be “hit men” to kill Trump. Grassley’s investigation revealed that in addition to Trump, other politicians, including President Joe Biden and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, may have also been targets of the Iran-backed plot.

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On Sept. 15, about three months after the first assassination attempt, a man identified as Ryan Routh allegedly hid in the bushes at Trump International Golf Club and waited for the former president with a rifle before being spotted and shot at by the Secret Service.

Numerous political figures have also received threats as the election draws near, including Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), who said her office received a “very serious shooting threat” Wednesday. Other politicians such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have been the victim of “swatting,” or the intentional calling of armed law enforcement to someone’s residence under false pretenses in an effort to intimidate or harm the target.