New revelations have emerged about the behind-the-scenes actions of January 6th Committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney, who was found to have secretly communicated with key witness Cassidy Hutchinson without the knowledge of Hutchinson’s attorney. This bombshell information was uncovered through Hutchinson’s encrypted Signal messages, raising serious ethical concerns about witness tampering and potential misconduct in the handling of the investigation.
The Committee on House Administration’s Subcommittee on Oversight, chaired by Rep. Barry Loudermilk, recently obtained these Signal messages, which reveal a direct line of communication between Cheney and Hutchinson in 2022, prior to Hutchinson’s explosive public testimony. These communications took place while Hutchinson was represented by attorney Stefan Passantino, who was unaware of the backchannel conversations between Cheney and his client.
According to the Oversight Committee, Cheney began communicating with Hutchinson in April 2022, just months before Hutchinson’s testimony. These conversations were not only direct but also mediated at times through former Trump administration official Alyssa Farah Griffin. Griffin, who had publicly criticized Trump after January 6, played a key role in facilitating the connection between Hutchinson and Cheney.
The timeline began after Hutchinson reached out to Griffin following her second transcribed interview with the January 6th Committee. The two, who had worked together in the Trump White House, met at Griffin’s Georgetown home on April 26, 2022. During that meeting, Hutchinson disclosed to Griffin that she had more information to offer to the Committee, particularly a previously unheard account that President Trump allegedly supported rioters chanting “Hang Mike Pence.”
Griffin then contacted Cheney on Hutchinson’s behalf to arrange another interview, facilitating the process without the involvement of Hutchinson’s legal counsel, Passantino. This marked the beginning of a series of communications that would take place directly between Cheney and Hutchinson, bypassing her attorney entirely.
The newly revealed text messages show that Cheney, aware of the ethical implications, still continued the conversations with Hutchinson. According to a Signal message from Griffin to Hutchinson, Cheney expressed concern about communicating without Hutchinson’s attorney present, stating that “one concern was… [Cheney] can’t really ethically talk to you without him.” Despite this, Cheney proceeded to engage with Hutchinson, apparently sidestepping proper legal protocol.
By the time Hutchinson reached out directly to Cheney after her third interview, she was still represented by Passantino, which Cheney knew. The messages suggest that Cheney may have encouraged Hutchinson to fire Passantino, going so far as to assist Hutchinson in securing new legal representation through the firm Alston & Bird on a pro bono basis.
This series of communications raises serious questions about whether Cheney attempted to influence or coach Hutchinson’s testimony. The fact that Cheney, as a sitting member of the January 6th Committee, had private, unauthorized conversations with a key witness in a federal investigation could be seen as a violation of legal ethics and possibly an effort to suborn perjury.
Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony in June 2022 was one of the most dramatic moments in the January 6th hearings. She testified that, based on information relayed to her by Secret Service official Tony Ornato, President Trump became enraged after his speech at the Ellipse on January 6th when he was informed he would not be driven to the Capitol to join the rioters.
According to Hutchinson’s testimony, Trump demanded to be taken to the Capitol, shouting, “I’m the f*cking president! Take me up to the Capitol now!” She further claimed that Trump attempted to physically grab the steering wheel of the presidential limo, an action that was thwarted by Secret Service Agent Bobby Engel, who allegedly took Trump’s hand off the wheel.
This testimony, which was widely publicized and sensationalized by the media, formed a critical part of the Select Committee’s narrative implicating Trump in the events of January 6. However, the credibility of Hutchinson’s account was later questioned, particularly when Secret Service officials indicated they would dispute the details of her story.
The House Oversight Committee, led by Rep. Loudermilk, is now investigating whether Liz Cheney’s communications with Hutchinson crossed ethical lines and whether they affected Hutchinson’s testimony. In a statement, the Committee emphasized that Cheney had a “clear ethical responsibility” to communicate with Hutchinson only through her attorney. Instead, it appears that Cheney ignored this obligation, potentially compromising the integrity of the investigation.
The Committee is also looking into whether Cheney’s actions contributed to Hutchinson’s decision to switch legal representation, and whether this was part of a broader effort to shape Hutchinson’s testimony to fit the narrative the January 6th Committee was constructing.
The revelation that Liz Cheney communicated directly with Cassidy Hutchinson without the knowledge of her attorney has cast a shadow over the integrity of the January 6th investigation. As questions about witness tampering and ethical misconduct continue to surface, it remains to be seen what legal and political consequences may follow for Cheney and others involved in these secret communications.
