FBI debunks claim that Trump shooter had overseas bank accounts | Fact check

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY
·2 min read
1

The claim: Thomas Matthew Crooks had overseas bank accounts worth $1.5 million

A July 27 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows a photo of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the shooter who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump.

"So who opened his 3 bank accounts offshore?" reads text in the post. "One in Switzerland, one in the Cayman Islands and one in Singapore totaling 1.5 millions (sic) dollars. So he is not a lone wolf!"

The post was liked more than 11,000 times in 10 days. Similar versions of the claim were shared on Threads, Facebook and Instagram.

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Our rating: False

The FBI said it hasn't found evidence that Crooks owned overseas bank accounts. The post doesn't provide any evidence to support its claim.

Claim about offshore bank accounts is baseless

Crooks, 20, was shot and killed by a Secret Service agent moments after opening fire at Trump during the former president's July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. But there is no evidence he had over a million dollars in overseas bank accounts.

An FBI spokesperson debunked the claim, telling USA TODAY, "The investigation to date has not uncovered any evidence that the shooter had overseas bank accounts."

There is no credible news reporting about Crooks having overseas bank accounts, and the post provides no evidence to support its claim.

The FBI spokesperson said the investigation into the assassination attempt is ongoing. In a July 14 statement, the bureau said the available evidence indicated the shooter acted alone.

Fact check: No evidence Trump rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks had previous arrests

USA TODAY reported July 27 that the FBI was trying to gain access to encrypted applications used by Crooks, but FBI Director Christopher Wray clarified during a July 24 House Judiciary Committee hearing that the encrypted platforms were "messaging applications."

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Lead Stories also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FBI says no evidence Thomas Crooks had offshore accounts | Fact check

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