Recent documents reveal that former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney, known for her critical stance towards ex-President Donald Trump, was in touch with key witness Cassidy Hutchinson from Trump’s White House team during the proceedings of the House January 6 Select Committee. These conversations took place without the awareness of Hutchinson’s legal counsel, Stefan Passantino. The initial dialogues were orchestrated by Alyssa Farah Griffin, who previously directed strategic communications during the Trump administration, but gradually evolved into a direct communication channel between Cheney and Hutchinson, as disclosed by the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight, who was in charge of scrutinizing the January 6 committee activities. This has been reported by the New York Post.
Intriguingly, no trace of the incognito conversations between Cheney, Hutchinson, and Griffin can be found in Cheney’s book ‘Oath and Honor’, which focuses on the dramatic unfolding of the riot events. Unbeknownst to others, Cheney was diligently seeking the scoop from Hutchinson’s narrative in 2022, parts of which were eventually debunked. After initial contact in April 2022, Hutchinson, who was set to provide the committee with greater insights, and Griffin’s messages continued. Griffin shared her concerns about Hutchinson’s involvement with Cheney in a message, expressing ethical implications with the presence of legal counsel.
Stepping into June 6, 2022, Hutchinson channeled a fresh communication thread directly with Cheney. In her message to Cheney, Hutchinson conveyed her desire for a confidential conversation at Cheney’s earliest convenience. In return, Cheney responded positively and asked Hutchinson to suggest a suitable time.
Cheney communicated her willingness to accommodate an in-person meeting or a phone call, as per Hutchinson’s preference, expressing profound gratitude. This transpired a mere three days before the commencement of the January 6 hearings. The New York Post reported that Hutchinson at that interval had chosen to let go of Stefan Passantino as her attorney.
The Oversight Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), accused Cheney of throwing Passantino under the bus, alleging he was used as a pawn to cover the inconsistencies that were apparent between Hutchinson’s initial and subsequent testimonies.
In her appearance before the committee, Hutchinson, who had previously been of service to the former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, indicated that she was informed by White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Anthony Ornato, that Trump lost his composure on the day of the riot. As per Hutchinson’s account, Trump demanded to be taken to the Capitol and made an attempt to take control of the vehicle to join the January 6 demonstrators.
This dramatic account was put to question in the subcommittee’s report. It indicated that the first time Ornato learned of the alleged events Hutchinson recounted, supposedly from him, was when she publicly disclosed them during her testimony.
Meanwhile, the Secret Service agent behind the wheel has directly contradicted Hutchinson’s version of events. As per the subcommittee’s report, the driver disavowed Hutchinson’s claims stating that President Trump did not make any attempt to seize control of the vehicle.
The subcommittee’s report pointed towards additional discrepancies. It commented on the January 6 Select Committee’s decision to only include parts of the driver’s testimony that supported their narrative in the final report. However, the full transcript remained undisclosed.
Amidst these striking discrepancies and question marks over who did what, the oversight subcommittee and its reports shouldn’t be underestimated. The willingness of Cheney to consider Hutchinson’s narrative, coupled with her ‘under the radar’ mode of operating, provokes more questions than answers.
Cheney’s exploration of backchannel communications and the subsequent dismissal of Hutchinson’s claims trigger an undeniable sense of intrigue. The Oversight Subcommittee’s scrutiny of Cheney’s actions, Hutchinson’s change of counsel, and the mentioned details regarding the January 6 Hearings hint towards an intricate web of maneuvers on the chessboard of Capitol Hill.
The Secret Service agent’s straightforward rebuttal of Hutchinson’s allegations creates another juxtaposition. His testimony underscores the subjective nature of the narrative surrounding the events of that fateful day, and how it has been shaped and reshaped on multiple occasions.
On the other hand, the fact that the January 6 Select Committee decided to cherry-pick snippets from the driver’s narrative that favored its perspective in the final report and kept the full transcript in the dark indicates a kind of guided storytelling.
Layers upon layers of narrative, testimony, and secrecy revolve around these events, and yet, the keen observer can’t help but notice a transparency deficit. This realization is yet another reminder of the numerous complexities that constitute the volatile ecosystem of Capitol politics.
Leaked messages show Liz Cheney was communicating with Cassidy Hutchinson on the encrypted messaging app Signal! pic.twitter.com/fpfF2MV4wn
— Joey Caesar Salads (@JoeySalads) October 16, 2024