Capitol Riot Witness Testimony Questioned
WASHINGTON – Cassidy Hutchinson, known for her role in the House Select Jan. 6 Committee, provided what has been described as “secondary hearsay” regarding the events of the Capitol riot in 2021. However, she was not considered a credible witness in the election interference case against President Trump, according to former special counsel Jack Smith.
During private testimony to the House Judiciary Committee on December 17, Smith remarked that Hutchinson, who testified in June 2022 during a high-profile hearing, wouldn’t have qualified as a “competent” witness, particularly because she couldn’t provide direct testimony.
“One of the issues with Ms. Hutchinson, as I remember, is that much of what she presented was based on things she’d heard from others,” Smith noted to members of the Justice Department, showcasing the nature of her evidence.
Smith further stated that such testimony might not be admissible and wouldn’t hold the strength of firsthand accounts.
Among her allegations was a dramatic claim that President Trump lunged at the steering wheel of a Secret Service vehicle, demanding to be taken to the Capitol while chaos unfolded around the certification of the 2020 election.
During a live-streamed House hearing on June 28, 2022, Hutchinson claimed that Trump yelled at Secret Service agents, “I’m a fucking president! Take me to the Capitol now!”
Interestingly, Hutchinson acknowledged that Anthony Ornato, the deputy chief of staff for operations, who first told her about the incident, later insisted her account was inaccurate.
Moreover, both the agent and the driver of the vehicle contested Hutchinson’s version of events, with the driver asserting that Trump “never got behind the wheel” or “lunged.” Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) raised concerns that the Democratic-led committee “concealed” the driver’s full testimony and didn’t release the entire transcript.
The committee, led by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi), eventually published its final report on December 22, 2022, following the midterm elections.
In his deposition, Smith remarked, “Ms. Hutchinson was a second or even third source regarding that specific allegation. She gathered what she heard from others.” He remembered interviewing those Hutchinson spoke with as well as officers present during the events, including one who described Trump’s anger about going to the Capitol—but whose account differed from Hutchinson’s.
Hutchinson, who was an aide to Mark Meadows during Trump’s presidency, also testified that Trump wanted armed supporters to enter the area for the “Stop the Steal” rally, claiming he said on January 6, “They’re not here to hurt me. Take away the magnetometers. Let my people in.”
Smith remarked on the variety of testimonies, indicating that when he interviewed several individuals, there were notable differing perspectives on this key allegation.
Ultimately, Smith clarified that his team had not reached a “final decision” about including Hutchinson as a witness, noting there were conflicting hearsay accounts and different perspectives involved.
In related legal news, Tony Bobulinski, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, has pursued a lawsuit against Hutchinson for up to $10 million, alleging her involvement in questionable dealings with Meadows prior to the 2020 election. Hutchinson has countersued for defamation in her 2023 memoir, titled *Enough*, with that lawsuit still in progress in federal court.
Interestingly, Bobulinski, a Navy veteran, offered to waive potential damages if Hutchinson would donate a portion of any awarded sum to a children’s hospital.
