Los Angeles County Judge John Lonergan Jr. described the allegations as “alarming.” “This case itself is alarming in this day and age with the violence that is creeping into our everyday lives, especially with our partisanship in the political environment” ahead of the midterms, Lonergan said, according to The Associated Press. The new details emerged weeks after plainclothes federal agents allegedly encountered Taele at the golf club on Aug. 2.
Authorities said Taele was walking around the property while taking photographs and videos and appeared to be observing security-planning activities ahead of an expected Trump visit. Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies subsequently detained him. Deputies allegedly discovered a 16-round magazine loaded with hollow-point ammunition inside Taele‘s pants pocket.
Investigators then searched his vehicle and allegedly discovered a loaded handgun with a round in the chamber along with another magazine containing hollow-point ammunition. Taele allegedly told investigators that he worked for the State Department and was present at the golf course as part of a security detail.
Authorities later searched Taele‘s home in Downey, California, where investigators said they discovered additional weapons and equipment. The items allegedly included an illegally modified AR-platform rifle, a .45-caliber handgun, body armor, high-capacity magazines, bulk ammunition, and radio signal devices.
Investigators also recovered the notebooks containing what authorities had previously characterized as “concerning statements.” The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Secret Service, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are investigating.
The case has taken another turn involving Taele‘s mental competency. Lonergan suspended the criminal proceedings after a pretrial evaluation determined that Taele was mentally unfit to stand trial. The matter has consequently been transferred to mental health court.
Taele, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, will remain jailed pending a Sept. 9 hearing at Hollywood Mental Health Court. His public defender, A.J. Bayne, cautioned against drawing conclusions about Taele‘s intentions before more information becomes available. “He’s a veteran, he served our country, and I don’t know enough right now, but he has a family that loves him, that has huge support for him,” Bayne said, according to the AP.
Bayne added that “people assume too much” about his client’s motives. The Secret Service has declined to publicly discuss specific details surrounding the investigation. The agency previously said it “thoroughly investigates any information or activity” that could represent a protective intelligence concern or possible threat involving someone under Secret Service protection.
Trump addressed the arrest earlier this month, responding to another security concern involving him after multiple threats and assassination attempts in recent years. “Well, the only thing I get a little solace from is, they say only consequential presidents,” Trump said during an appearance on “Fox News @ Night.”
