Cassidy Hutchinson was a former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’ top aide. She testified Tuesday at a House committee hearing. On Monday, the committee announced that it would present “recently acquired evidence” from an unidentified witness. Later, Cassidy Hutchinson was revealed to have been the witness. But who is she?
Hutchinson was the first witness to the committee who was present in the West Wing on January 6, 2021.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the committee, stated that “It is important that the American people receive that information immediately.” He thanked Hutchinson and others for their courage at the beginning of the hearing.
Thompson stated that Hutchinson had previously worked for Senate Ted Cruz and House Republican Whip Rep. Steve Scalise.
She was a student at Christopher Newport University, and she spoke to them about her White House internship. According to a 2018 article published on the school’s site, she stated that she attended many events hosted by President Trump, including signing ceremonies, celebrations, and presidential announcements. She also frequently watched Marine One leave the South Lawn from her office window.
She said, “My modest contribution to the pursuit of American excellence and prosperity is a memory that I will cherish as one of my honors in life.”
Hutchinson was in her senior year at Newport News University, Virginia. After graduating, she said that she would return to Washington, D.C., which she did.
She began her role in the White House’s legislative Affairs office in 2019. Hutchinson was appointed principal aide to Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows, in March 2020. She served until the end Trump administration.
Although still young, Cheney stated that Hutchinson, like many White House staffers handled “a vast number of sensitive topics” and worked in West Wing, which is just steps from the Oval Office. Hutchinson testified that she spent much of her time on Capitol Hill, and was able to fulfill presidential travel obligations.
Cheney stated that “Ms. Hutchinson spoke daily to members of Congress, with high-ranking officials in the administration with senior White House staff including Mr. Meadows with White House counsel lawyers, and with Mr. Tony Ornadt who served as deputy chief of [operations]”. She also worked daily with Secret Service members who were stationed in the White House.
Cheney said, “In short Ms. Hutchinson knew a lot about the White House.”
Hutchinson first described a conversation she had with Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s lawyer, during Tuesday’s testimony. She stated that Giuliani said something during the January 2 conversation — just days before the Capitol attack.
Meadows said she didn’t know what he was talking of and that he had “said something along the lines of, ‘There is a lot going. But I don’t know. Things might get real, really bad on January 6th.
Hutchinson has recently changed lawyers to attend the hearing. According to The Associated Press, she had previously used a former Trump White House official. She is now working with Jody Hunt who worked for Justice Department and was chief of staff to ex-Attor General Jeff Sessions.
Hunt was an important witness in Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation into the alleged ties between Russia, 2016 Trump campaign.
Hutchinson testified several times for the Jan.6 committee before Tuesday’s public hearing. She stated that Anthony Ornato was a senior Secret Service officer who was detail to the White House as deputy chief operations. Meadows intelligence reports “indicated there could be violence the 6th”, but she wasn’t sure what he did internally.
In another interview, she spoke out about White House meetings with Republican members of Congress. At these meetings, a plan to have alternate voters meet and vote for Trump in the states he lost was discussed. However, the White House counsel said that such a plan wasn’t legal.
Hutchinson testified that Ornato said to her on Tuesday that Trump, as he was leaving his Ellipses speech on January 6, reached up towards the front of the car to grab the steering wheel, as Bobby Engel, his head of security, drove back to Washington.
“Mr. Engel grabbed him by the arm and said, “Sir, you need your hand off of the steering wheel. We’re going back to the west side. Hutchinson said that we are not going to Capitol. “Mr. Trump used his free hand and lunged toward Bobby Engel. He had moved towards his clavicles.”
Engle was present when Ornato told Hutchinson about the story. Hutchinson stated that Engle did not correct the story or disagree with it.
CBS News was informed by a source within the Secret Service that Engel and the driver were willing to testify that Trump never physically assaulted or attacked them and that Trump did not reach for the steering wheel.
Officials of the Secret Service do not dispute Trump’s anger or his demand to be taken to Capitol in the language Hutchinson used to refer to the committee.
In a statement to CBS News, Anthony Guglielmi, spokesperson for the Secret Service, stated that the U.S. Secret Service has been cooperating since spring 2021 when it was established.
The House is currently on a two-week recess. Hutchinson’s hearing came as a surprise, since the committee had stated that they would no longer hold any more meetings until July.
This report was contributed by Nicole Sganga, Victoria Albert and Victoria Albert.
