WASHINGTON — An independent panel probing Donald Trump’s attempted assassination at a Pennsylvania campaign rally believes the Secret Service need fundamental reform and that “another Butler can and will happen again” unless big changes are made to how candidates are secured. The study chastised the Secret Service for insufficient communication that day and failing to secure the building where the gunman fired his rounds. It also discovered deeper structural weaknesses at the agency, such as a failure to appreciate Trump’s specific threats and a culture of doing “more with less.”

The 52-page investigation released Thursday blamed the Secret Service for specific failures leading up to the July 13 demonstration in Butler, as well as fundamental issues inside the agency’s culture. It proposed putting in fresh, outside leadership and focussing on its protective role.

The 52-page review, issued Thursday, chastised the Secret Service for specific mistakes prior to the July 13 demonstration in Butler, as well as basic faults inside the agency’s culture. It advocated appointing new, outside leadership and focusing on its protective role.

The assessment by a panel of four former law enforcement officers from the federal and state governments comes after inquiries by members of Congress, the agency’s own investigators, and Homeland Security’s oversight board. A review of the report’s principal findings and recommendations.:

The panel echoed previous reports that focused on the failure to secure a building near the rally with a clear line of sight to where Trump was speaking, as well as multiple communications issues that hampered the Secret Service’s ability to communicate with local and state law enforcement. “The failure to secure a complex of buildings, portions of which were within approximately 130 yards of the protectee and containing numerous positions carrying high-angle line of sight risk, represents a critical security failure,” according to the report.

The panel reiterated prior reports that focused on the failure to secure a facility near the rally with a clear line of sight to where Trump was speaking, as well as various communications failures that limited the Secret Service’s capacity to communicate with local and state law enforcement. “The failure to secure a complex of buildings, portions of which were within approximately 130 yards of the protectee and containing numerous positions carrying high-angle line of sight risk, represents a critical security failure,” according to the evaluation.

The panel also mentioned that there were two separate command posts at the Butler event, one with local law enforcement and another with the Secret Service: “This created, at the highest level, a structural divide in the flow of communications.” There were other communication issues.

The panel echoed previous reports that focused on the failure to secure a building near the rally with a clear line of sight to where Trump was speaking, as well as multiple communications issues that hampered the Secret Service’s ability to communicate with local and state law enforcement. “The failure to secure a complex of buildings, portions of which were within approximately 130 yards of the protectee and containing numerous positions carrying high-angle line of sight risk, represents a critical security failure,” according to the report. The panel criticized the preparation between the Secret Service and local law enforcement, claiming that the Secret Service failed to inquire about what was being done to secure the building

The panel also mentioned that there were two separate command posts at the Butler event, one with local law enforcement and another with the Secret Service: “This created, at the highest level, a structural divide in the flow of communications.” There were other communication issues.

The Secret Service had to switch radio channels because radio traffic from officers protecting First Lady Jill Biden at a Pittsburgh event was being picked up by agents covering the Butler protest. The panel also highlighted that all of the law enforcement personnel on the ground used a “chaotic mixture” of radio, telephone, text, and email to communicate throughout the day.

The Secret Service had to change radio channels because radio traffic from officers protecting First Lady Jill Biden at a Pittsburgh event was picked up by agents covering the Butler demonstration. The panel also stated that throughout the day, all law enforcement officials on the ground communicated via a “chaotic mixture” of radio, telephone, text, and email.