Episode Introduction
About a month after a gunman nearly killed Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, few reporters were digging into the Secret Service as hard as Susan Crabtree. On Podcast 204 of Breaking Battlegrounds, the RealClearPolitics correspondent gives host Sam Stone and guest host Sean Noble an update on her investigation into the agency.
The episode also covers two 2024 campaigns. Dr. Jessica Spencer explains why a coalition of parents, teachers and first responders opposed Florida’s Amendment 3, which would have legalized recreational marijuana. Reina Patocs, a Republican candidate for the Arizona House in District 5, describes her approach to conservative politics.
Kiley’s Corner covers the opening of Robert Telles’s trial for the murder of Las Vegas reporter Jeff German.
Quick Answer
Breaking Battlegrounds Podcast 204, recorded August 17, 2024, features RealClearPolitics correspondent Susan Crabtree on her investigation into Secret Service failures after the Butler assassination attempt. Dr. Jessica Spencer explains the opposition to Florida’s Amendment 3, a marijuana legalization measure. Arizona House candidate Reina Patocs discusses her campaign. Kiley’s Corner covers the Robert Telles murder trial.
Episode Overview
Crabtree opens the episode with an update on her Secret Service reporting. Her investigation started immediately after the July 13 shooting and went on for more than a year.
Spencer follows with the case against Amendment 3. She argues that legalizing recreational marijuana would threaten public safety, which was the main argument of the Vote No campaign.
Patocs then gives her view of conservative issues as a first-time candidate in a Phoenix-area legislative district. Kiley’s Corner covers the start of the trial of Robert Telles, a former Clark County public administrator charged with killing journalist Jeff German. The episode ends with Jenna’s Sunshine Moment.
About the Guests
Susan Crabtree is a national political correspondent for RealClearPolitics. She was previously a senior writer at the Washington Free Beacon and spent five years as a White House correspondent for the Washington Examiner. Her earlier reporting on Secret Service lapses came before the 2014 resignation of Secret Service Director Julia Pierson. She won the 2024 Dao Prize for investigative reporting, and in March 2025 she published Fool’s Gold, a book about corruption in California. She is on X at @susancrabtree.
Dr. Jessica Spencer was director of advocacy for the Florida Vote No on Amendment 3 Campaign, a coalition of parents, teachers, law enforcement and first responders that opposed legalizing recreational marijuana.
Reina Patocs was the Republican candidate for Arizona House District 5 in 2024 and was running for office for the first time. She works in data analytics and engineering. She is on X at @Reinapatocs.
Key Topics Discussed
- Susan Crabtree’s investigation into Secret Service failures after the Butler assassination attempt
- The coalition opposing Florida’s Amendment 3 and its public safety arguments
- Reina Patocs’s campaign for Arizona House District 5
- The trial of Robert Telles for the murder of journalist Jeff German
- Jenna’s Sunshine Moment
Susan Crabtree’s Secret Service Investigation
On July 13, 2024, a gunman opened fire on Trump at a rally in Butler. Trump was wounded, one rallygoer was killed and two others were critically injured. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned ten days later. Crabtree had covered the agency for years and quickly became one of the reporters most closely tracking what went wrong.
Her reporting continued long after this interview. According to RealClearPolitics, she reported that senior Secret Service leaders received classified intelligence about a threat to Trump’s life ten days before Butler and did not pass it to the personnel securing the event. She was also the first to report the names of six agents the agency later suspended over the failures. Members of Congress, including Senators Josh Hawley, Ron Johnson and Marsha Blackburn, cited her work in oversight of the agency.
Dr. Jessica Spencer on the Case Against Amendment 3
Amendment 3 would have amended Florida’s constitution to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. Spencer explains the coalition’s opposition, arguing that legalization would create risks for public safety, children and communities.
Supporters of the amendment, led by the Smart & Safe Florida campaign, argued that adults should be free to use marijuana legally and that regulated sales were safer than the illicit market.
Update: Amendment 3 failed on November 5, 2024. It received 55.9 percent of the vote, a majority but short of the 60 percent Florida requires for constitutional amendments.
Reina Patocs on a Modern Conservative Campaign
Patocs was a first-time candidate who described her approach as a modern take on conservative issues. Her platform focused on tax policies to encourage growth, regulatory reform for entrepreneurs, workforce development and stronger border security in response to fentanyl trafficking.
Update: District 5 is a Democratic-leaning seat. Patocs finished third in the November 2024 general election with about 21 percent of the vote, and Democrats Sarah Liguori and Aaron Márquez won both House seats.
Kiley’s Corner: The Robert Telles Trial
Robert Telles was the Democratic Clark County public administrator. He was charged with killing Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German. German was found stabbed to death outside his home in September 2022 after writing a series of articles critical of Telles’s conduct in office. Kiley covered the start of the trial in August 2024.
Update: In August 2024, a jury convicted Telles of first-degree murder. In October 2024, he was sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility after 20 years, plus an added 8 to 20 years for using a deadly weapon, making him first eligible for parole after 28 years. Telles has maintained his innocence.
Key Takeaways From the Conversation
- Crabtree’s reporting on the Secret Service after Butler became one of the most-cited bodies of work in congressional oversight of the agency.
- Florida’s anti-Amendment 3 coalition based its case on public safety. Despite majority support, the measure fell short of Florida’s 60 percent requirement.
- The Telles case, which Kiley covered at its opening, ended in a first-degree murder conviction and a life sentence.
Listen to the Episode
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- Breaking Battlegrounds on Spotify
- Breaking Battlegrounds on YouTube
Related Breaking Battlegrounds Episodes
Jeff German was killed over his reporting. Breaking Battlegrounds has covered other journalists targeted for their work, including Thomas Grove on reporting with Evan Gershkovich after his Russian imprisonment and Lynne O’Donnell’s account of Taliban detention.
Sean Noble also guest-hosted Podcast 208 on Harris, Afghanistan and the 2024 debate. For more Arizona races, see the show’s Arizona primary interviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Florida’s Amendment 3 pass?
No. Amendment 3, which would have legalized recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older, received 55.9 percent of the vote on November 5, 2024. Florida requires 60 percent to amend its constitution, so the measure failed despite majority support.
What happened to Robert Telles?
Robert Telles, a former Clark County public administrator, was convicted in August 2024 of the first-degree murder of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German. He was sentenced in October 2024 to life in prison and won’t be eligible for parole for 28 years. He maintains his innocence.
Who is Susan Crabtree?
Susan Crabtree is a national political correspondent for RealClearPolitics who has reported on the Secret Service for years, including on its failures at the 2024 Butler rally. She won the 2024 Dao Prize for investigative reporting and wrote Fool’s Gold (2025).
How many Secret Service agents were suspended over Butler?
Six Secret Service agents were suspended over the security failures at the Butler rally. The agency didn’t release their names, but RealClearPolitics reporter Susan Crabtree later identified them.
