Washington — Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff is a member the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Schiff said Sunday that the panel is looking for additional leads after Cassidy Hutchinson (a former Trump White House aide) gave bombshell testimony last week regarding what was happening within the White House during and days preceding the attack.
“There is more information coming forward. We don’t know if that will translate into specific witnesses on this topic. But we’re going with the flow. Schiff spoke to “Face the Nation” in an interview. I believe those leads will lead me to new testimony.
According to the congressman, the possibility of getting new information from other sources was what motivated the committee’s decision to have Hutchinson testify publically. Members hoped that seeing her courage would encourage them to do the same.
Hutchinson, a top White House aide, told the committee that Trump had wanted to visit the Capitol during Congress’s counting of state electoral votes. He was furious when the Secret Service refused to allow him to. She described Trump’s speech at the White House Ellipse, and how he told some of his supporters that they were armed and could march to Washington with their weapons.
Hutchinson also mentioned that Pat Cipollone (White House counsel) raised legal concerns about Trump’s Jan. 6 visit to the Capitol and the speech he gave that day. Hutchinson recalls that Cipollone said to Meadows, as the mob broke into the Capitol, “something must be done” and that the blood would be on his hands.
A subpoena was issued to Cipollone by the select committee last week for testimony. Schiff stated that the panel is currently in discussions with his lawyers.
He said, “I am hopeful that we will be able to work out bringing him into testimony.” He clearly has information regarding concerns about criminal violations, concerns that the president will visit the Capitol that day, and concerns that the chief of staff could have blood on his hands if they don’t do more. It’s hard to imagine anyone more central, and I hope he will display the same courage that Cassidy Hutchinson displayed.
Hutchinson’s testimony on Trump’s conduct Jan. 6 provided some insight into what was happening at the White House. However, at least one of her recollections has been challenged. Hutchinson said she spoke to Tony Ornato (White House deputy chief of staff operations), who described an altercation in Trump’s vehicle. The former president tried to grab the steering wheel, and then lunged at Robert Engel, a Secret Service agent. He was told that he couldn’t go to the Capitol.
A Secret Service spokesperson said that the agency would respond to Hutchinson’s allegations. According to a source close to the Secret Service, Engel and the driver were also available to testify under oath in dispute of Hutchinson’s account.
Engel and Ornato both spoke to the select committee prior to Hutchinson’s public hearing. Schiff stated that the panel would be open to having them back to answer additional questions.
He said, “The most important thing here is that there doesn’t seem to be any dispute about the fact that the president was furious at not being able to accompany this armed mob towards the Capitol.” Trump seems to have disputed the fact that Trump knew the mob was armed and wanted the magnetometers to go down so that they could carry their arms to Capitol. He has, as we have seen, absolutely no credibility.”
The Justice Department is under increasing pressure to bring down Trump as the select committee continues its investigation.
When asked about the implications for the country if Mr. Trump were charged by the Justice Department under Mr. Biden for his actions in relation to Jan. 6, assault, Rep. Liz Cheney (committee vice chair) stated that it would be “much more grave constitutional threat” not to hold him accountable.
Schiff also agreed, saying that he believes there are evidence that the former President engaged in “multiple violations” of the law, which should be investigated.
He said, “Immunizing an ex-president who has committed wrongdoing, would I agree with our vice chairman, I think it is more dangerous than any other,” “Decisions not to proceed with an investigation or to not move forward with a criminal prosecution due to someone’s political standing or political influence, or because they have followers, to me, that is far more dangerous to our Constitution than following any evidence wherever it leads, even if it leads to a former President,” he said.
