Rep. Liz Cheney is doubling down on her call for former Trump White House Counsel Pat Cipollone to testify before the House Jan. 6 committee in the wake of former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony.
Ms. Cheney, Wyoming Republican and vice-chair of the committee, sees an opening after Ms. Hutchinson testified that Mr. Cipollone expressed concern over President Trump’s plans in the lead-up to the U.S. Capitol riot.
“As we heard yesterday, WH counsel Pat Cippollone [sic] had significant concerns re. Trump’s Jan 6 activities,” Ms. Cheney said on Twitter Wednesday. “It’s time for Mr. Cippollone [sic] to testify on the record.”
Ms. Hutchinson, who had previously been interviewed by the committee behind closed doors, appeared before the committee in a surprise public hearing Tuesday called at the last minute to present new evidence the panel collected.
Her testimony showed that several top officials, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Mr. Cipollone virtually begged White House aides in the days leading up to Jan. 6, 2021, not to allow the president to visit the Capitol for the Electoral College vote certification.
Mr. Cipollone warned that if Mr. Trump did so, it would risk criminal charges, such as obstruction of justice, inciting a riot or defrauding the Electoral College count, Ms. Hutchinson said.
“Any concerns he has about the institutional interests of his prior office are outweighed by the need for his testimony,” Ms. Cheney said.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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