The January 6 committee made a startling allegation on Monday, claiming it had evidence that a Trump-paid attorney urged witness Cassidy Hutchinson to mislead the committee about what she remembered. Stefan Passantino was Trump's White House ethics lawyer. Ha, ha! Did he not know everything Trump touches dies? Via CNN:
Though the committee declined to identify the people, CNN has learned that Stefan Passantino, the top ethics attorney in the Trump White House, is the lawyer who allegedly advised his then-client, former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, to tell the committee that she did not recall details that she did, sources familiar with the committee’s work tell CNN.
Trump’s Save America political action committee funded Passantino and his law firm Elections LLC, including paying for his representation of Hutchinson, other sources tell CNN. Hutchinson asked about the financial set up at the time but was never told the details, according to the committee.
Over the summer, Hutchinson emerged as a blockbuster witness for the committee, providing key insight into Trump’s state of mind and his actions leading up to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Before her public testimony, Hutchinson dropped Passantino and got a new lawyer.
The former lawyer for Cassidy Hutchinson, a key witness for the House Jan. 6 committee, took a leave of absence from his law firm Tuesday as he defended himself against what he said were the panel's false insinuations against him@maggieNYT https://t.co/Rzck0F7lVU
— Luke Broadwater☀️ (@lukebroadwater) December 21, 2022
The accusations involving Stefan Passantino--that he advised Cassidy Hutchinson to say she did not recall when in fact she did -- is absolutely career ending if it pans out. Virtual instant disarmament and lucky if he stays out of jail.
— Harry Litman (@harrylitman) December 20, 2022
BREAKING: Cassidy Hutchinson HAS SPOKEN WITH THE DOJ about trump's lawyer PASSANTINO instructing her to testify "I don't recall". Pretty clear cut case of witness tampering. https://t.co/JAsdWQphRT
— Mueller, She Wrote (@MuellerSheWrote) December 20, 2022