House Democrats' report refutes Republican claims that former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) acted inappropriately by contacting star witness Cassidy Hutchinson, saying the Republican report They claim that this constitutes defamation.
Democratic Party reportThe documents, released four years after the incident, came after House Administration Subcommittee Chairman Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) urged an FBI investigation into Cheney on suspicion of witness tampering.
Democrats cited earlier testimony Hutchinson gave before the now-disbanded committee on Jan. 6 and previously unreported evidence that she had fired her former lawyer before reaching out to Cheney. He pointed to a letter from his lawyer.
The two documents undermine Republican claims that Stephen Passantino was still Hutchinson's agent at the time of the two women's contact, otherwise raising ethical questions. It was a conversation that could have led to.
“MS. Mr. Hutchinson did not trust Mr. Passantino to represent his best interests, recognized a conflict of interest, and voluntarily terminated his then-attorney for representing him.” He made his own decision,” Hutchinson's current attorney, William Jordan, wrote.
The letter from Hutchinson's lawyers was filed after America First Legal, a conservative nonprofit founded by Trump adviser Stephen Miller, filed a complaint against Cheney with a Washington, D.C. attorney in October. Ta.
Although Loudermilk's recommendation to investigate Cheney will face numerous obstacles, the move nonetheless comes as President-elect Trump and others are calling for retaliation against the Wyoming Republican.
Text messages in Loudermilk's report show Hutchinson was the first to contact Cheney.
And while the Speech and Debate Clause protections would likely prevent Ms. Cheney, then a member of the House of Representatives, from prosecution, it would also make it difficult to prosecute her for witness tampering. This law deals with those who pressure witnesses to give false testimony.
Although contacting potential witnesses without an attorney could raise ethical concerns, Cheney advised Hutchinson to secure a new attorney before returning to the committee to provide additional testimony.
Mr. Hutchinson said Mr. Passantino encouraged him not to actively participate on the committee and agreed to testify publicly at the larger hearing.
The ruling Democratic Party calls Loudermilk's claims “malicious falsehoods” and “ridiculous,” and argues that the protections provided by the Speech and Debate Clause also apply, meaning he could otherwise be held liable for defamation. He said he was protecting Mr. Loudermilk from what he said.
“Vice Chair Cheney acted with integrity and professionalism when presented with relevant facts by the witness. She confirmed that the witness was no longer represented by an attorney and that while acting in her own capacity, she provided additional information. “After being informed that he would like to provide the Special Committee with the following information, the Vice-Chairman suggested that he consider hiring independent counsel before testifying again,” the ruling Democratic Party wrote. In their report.
“This again shows that Vice Chair Cheney was not involved in shaping Mr. Hutchinson's testimony.”
Loudermilk billed his report as a review of the commission's “failures and politicization.” The Georgia lawmaker was also reviewed by the previous committee after giving a tour of the Capitol to two men who later marched to the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“House Democrats still have not acknowledged the reality. Their new report was crafted by Democrats led by Liz Cheney and Nancy Pelosi to legislatively indict Donald Trump,” Loudermilk said in a statement Monday. It's an emotional reenactment of the same story.”
“I have spent the last two years trying to uncover the truth and they refuse to accept any element of it.”
