When Butler County Commissioner Kevin Boozel reached out to check on his fellow commissioners following the shooting at the July 13 campaign rally for former President Donald Trump, Commissioner Leslie Osche replied with an angry message referencing his request to secure a contract before the rally.

Text messages exchanged between the three commissioners before and directly after the rally demonstrate a tense relationship fractured along party lines. However, on Friday, Aug. 16, the commissioners said they want to move forward together.

On the evening of July 13, texts — acquired through a recent right-to-know request — indicate a heated exchange between Boozel, a Democrat, and Osche, a Republican, after shooting erupted at the rally. A Buffalo Township man was killed, two other men were critically injured and Trump’s ear was grazed by a bullet as gunfire broke out across the Butler Farm Show grounds in Connoquenessing Township.

“We’re (sic) either of you there? You alright?” Boozel texted at 6:42 p.m. He was asking if Osche and county Commissioner Kim Geyer were present at the rally and about their safety following the shooting. He also said the White House called to offer assistance.

Osche then replied to Boozel in a text that referenced his desire to secure a contract related to security before the rally, indicated they didn’t need White House assistance and said, “You will burn in (expletive).”

Boozel replied, “Yes, I wanted a contract, and you need to pull your self together. Perhaps we could have had more there. So much for your professionalism.”

Osche then texted, “You don't deserve professionalism.” Then Boozel replied with: “You're a piece of work. Grow up.”

Geyer remained silent during the exchange.

Now, as Trump has promised an October return visit to Butler County, Osche and Boozel each said they want to focus on the future, protect the people of Butler County, and avoid a situation like the shooting that took place at the July rally.

On Friday, Boozel said he would still like the county to pursue some kind of contract or agreement for the announced Trump rally — or any rally or large event that comes to Butler County — so county officials have expectations in writing.

Boozel said requesting Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe pursue a contract was a move to prepare the department to supply exactly what was needed for the rally.

“My belief system is the (U.S.) Secret Service should protect a former president,” he said. “I cannot condone putting crowd size over security. If it's a presidential visit, candidate, former president, then you have a better control system at that point.”

Osche and Geyer have said the request was a mutual aid agreement and a contract was unnecessary.

Osche added the sheriff has the autonomy to decide how his office will respond to requests for service, and other departments involved in providing service to the rally were not working under contracts.

In a statement Wednesday, Geyer said she sat in the center grandstands July 13 with Osche behind Trump.

“As shots rang out, I did not know if Donald Trump was critically injured or worse, and I was terrified to think how many attendees may have been injured or killed,” she said. “I leaned my head over my knees and prayed while lifting my eyes to watch the Secret Service detail in action covering the former president behind the podium as if an umbrella.

“I could hear shooting and screaming on both sides of the adjacent bleachers from where we were sitting. At no time did I think about blame or fault.”

Osche said her text response to Boozel’s inquiry, where she also rejected an offer of aid from the White House, was made in “the trauma of that moment.”

On July 10, Boozel said he made a call to Slupe recommending a contract be pursued in relation to the campaign rally.

He said in a Friday statement that the contract could have made “it easier for a response to anticipated right-to-know request.”

“A contract would identify the following as many special assignment contracts already do for sportsman raffles to school events: Place, time, number of deputies and entity contracted with such as Farm Show or Trump campaign and cost,” Boozel said. “Contracts are put in place to show what is expected of the services and costs related.

“Contracts run through public meetings and provide transparency to all tax payers.”

Osche said in a Friday statement the sheriff had sought her opinion on the issues raised by Boozel.

“My opinion then and now was that the request came from the Secret Service to assist in the security and function of an event in our community with our residents and visitors,” she said. “Commissioner Geyer and I vehemently disagreed with Commissioner Boozel’s approach to the sheriff or any attempt to interfere with the sheriff’s operational decisions.”

She said on Wednesday, July 10, Boozel warned her that the Democratic National Committee would file right-to-know requests and scrutinize expenditures related to the event.

The DNC has filed no right-to-know requests as of this time, Osche said.

A text chain between Slupe and the three commissioners on Thursday evening, July 11, began with a message from the sheriff indicating there would be no overtime paid for the event and that “only” six deputies would be there with interior fence responsibilities. He noted that the 2020 rally, while Trump was president, had 13 deputies working.

“Just going on record that this isn't ok without a contract (even with Farm Show) and funded agreement,” Boozel said in reply. “I believe as I spoke to Sheriff, this will be challenged as a campaign expense that should be covered as a campaign expense, a contract that should be agreed to by the county and transparent. We can ratify something if there is an agreement.”

Osche answered, saying the instance called for law enforcement mutual aid rather than a contract.

“He has the right to (not have a contract),” she said. “We only control his budget. If he exceeds the budget, then it's an issue. If he was requested by Secret Service for other side, we would expect the same.”

Boozel followed up with a message reinforcing his earlier statement.

“Campaigns are different. Just be prepared is all I'm saying. And these are not approved duties,” he said.

Also on July 11, Osche said she made a call to Controller Ben Holland to advise him of “what I would describe as a veiled threat made by Commissioner Boozel regarding the Democratic National Committee and to express that Commissioner Geyer and I both believed that the sheriff’s request from the Secret Service was considered mutual aid in the interest of public safety, in particular public safety for our own citizens.”

On Friday, Boozel said he had no conversations surrounding overtime or number of deputies. His concern was directly related to the need for a contract, he said.

“No contract was developed, presented or discussed further,” Boozel said.

The sheriff’s office on July 13 provided six deputies, according to Osche on Friday.

Slupe said the deputies worked for comp time, so they accrued an hour-and-a-half of time off for every hour they worked.

Osche said the county commission approves the sheriff’s budget, so any work that fell within the department’s approved fund was fair game for Slupe’s office.

“We didn't pay overtime when we very well could have,” Osche said. “In fact, we encouraged him to pay overtime if they needed.”

The county commissioners have had a few meetings in the month since the shooting occurred, where Osche said the commissioners have been “jovial” with one another.

Boozel said if a candidate for high office does schedule an event in Butler County, he still will push for the sheriff to pursue a contract to ensure transparency. He said he only recently learned the sheriff supplied 13 deputies for the Trump rally in October 2020, because that number was not easily accessible.

He said in the Friday statement it is the “right and duty of commissioners to suggest contracts, expect transparency upfront.”

“I really don't wish any ill will on my comrades or the officers,” Boozel said in an interview Friday. “For me, how can we have done better; we put a game plan together on where we need to be.”

Osche said she is focused on the future.

“We have to get a job done. We don't have to be social,” Osche said. “You're not going to see anything different from me than that. We disagree, but we're adults and we have to go forward.”

She said Friday she didn’t know if anything would have changed the outcome of July 13.

“But I have learned that when politics blinds mission, the people we serve suffer,” she said.