Washington – Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, a member of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, said Sunday the panel is looking for additional clues after Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to the U.S. Trump’s White House offered a splendid testimony last week. about what was happening in the White House the previous days and during the attack.
“There is certainly more information going on. As to whether this will materialize in private testimonies on this or that issue, we will wait and see, but we follow additional clues,” Schiff said in an interview with “Face the Nation.” “. “I think these clues will lead to a new witness.”
The congressman said the prospect of getting new information from other people was part of what motivated the committee to get Hutchinson to test publicly, as members hoped that “seeing their courage would inspire them to show the same kind of courage “.
A senior aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Hutchinson told the committee that former President Donald Trump wanted to go to the Capitol while Congress counted state election votes to reaffirm President Biden’s victory and was furious when the Secret Service did not allow him. a. He also described hearing Trump during the White House Ellipse demonstration say he knew some supporters who had gathered were armed and could march to the Capitol with their weapons after his speech.
Hutchinson also recalled that Pat Cipollone, the White House attorney, raised legal concerns about Trump’s going to the Capitol on Jan. 6 and the language of his speech that day. According to Hutchinson’s memoir, Cipollone told Meadows when the violent mob entered the Capitol that “something must be done or people will die, and the blood will be on their hands.”
The select committee issued a subpoena to Cipollone to testify last week, and Schiff said the group is “in discussions” with its lawyers.
“I hope we can work to bring him to witness,” he said. “Clearly he has information about concerns about criminal rape, concerns about the president going to the Capitol that day, concerns about the chief of staff having blood on his hands if they did nothing more to stop that violent attack on the Capitol. Hard. Imagine someone else at the center of things, and I hope he shows the same courage we saw Cassidy Hutchinson show. “
While Hutchinson’s testimony about Trump’s conduct on Jan. 6 shed light on what was happening in the White House, at least one memory has been disputed. Hutchinson told the committee he spoke with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Tony Ornato, who described an altercation with Trump in his vehicle in which the former president tried to get behind the wheel and rushed toward Robert Engel, a Secret Service agent, was later told he could not go to the Capitol.
A Secret Service spokesman said the agency would respond on file to Hutchinson’s allegations. A source close to the Secret Service also confirmed that both Engel and the driver are willing to testify under oath to dispute the details of the incident as described by Hutchinson.
Both Engel and Ornato spoke with the select committee before Hutchinson’s public hearing, and Schiff said the group would be interested in them coming back to answer more questions.
“The most important thing is that there doesn’t seem to be any dispute over the fact that the president was furious at not being able to accompany this armed crowd to the Capitol,” he said. “That seems indisputable, and the fact that the president knew the mob was armed, he wanted to lower the tape recorders so they could take the guns to the Capitol, that doesn’t seem to be disputed by anyone except Donald Trump. And he doesn’t have, as we’ve seen. in the past, no credibility. “
As the select committee has continued its investigation and revealed new information about Trump’s conduct, the Justice Department has come under increasing pressure to prosecute Trump.
Asked about the ramifications for the country if the Justice Department under Mr. Biden would charge Trump for his actions related to the Jan. 6 aggression, MP Liz Cheney, vice chair of the committee, told “This Week” on Sunday of ABC that it would be a “much more serious constitutional threat” not to hold him accountable.
Schiff agreed and said he believes there is evidence that the former president was involved in “multiple violations of the law,” which should be investigated.
“Vaccinating a former president who has been involved in misconduct, I would agree with our vice president, I think it’s more dangerous than anything else,” he said. “The decision not to go ahead with an investigation or not to go ahead with a prosecution because of someone’s political status or political influence or because they have followers, for me is something much more dangerous for our Constitution than following tests wherever he is, he leads, even when he leads a former president. “