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An elected House of Representatives committee investigating the January 6, 2021 uprising issued a summons Wednesday morning to former White House councilor Pat Chipoloun after a former associate’s testimony identified the lawyer as a first-hand expert on potential White House crime. of Trump.
The decision was followed by lengthy negotiations between Chipolone and the commission, as well as the sharply escalating pressure on him in recent days to come out and testify. Commissioners believe the former lawyer’s testimony could be crucial to their investigation, given his closeness to Donald Trump and his presence at key moments before, during and after the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol. The summons is likely to provoke a long court battle.
Chipolone took part in an informal interview with the commission on April 13, according to a letter from the commission’s chairman, Benny G. Thompson (D-Miss.), But he refused to cooperate further.
“In the weeks since, the elected commission has continued to gather evidence for which you have a unique position to testify; unfortunately, however, you refused to cooperate with us further, including by providing recorded testimony. We have no choice but to issue you this summons, “Thompson wrote.
A statement from Thompson and the commission’s deputy chair, Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Said the commission’s investigation had “revealed evidence that Mr Chipolon had repeatedly raised legal and other concerns about President Trump’s activities.” on the 6th of January and in the days before. “
Cipollone did not respond to a request for comment.
The summons came a day after a heated hearing involving former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. Early Wednesday morning, Cheney tweeted about the commission’s next big goal.
“It’s time for Mr. Chipolone to testify in the transcript,” Cheney wrote on Twitter at 5:50 a.m. “Any concerns he has about the institutional interests of his previous service outweigh the need for his testimony.”
Cassidy Hutchinson is feeding the Justice Department to investigate Trump
Cipollone has been mentioned frequently in the last month, as various witnesses who appeared in the commission’s public hearings cite his constant presence in meetings outside the railways and the sage, albeit at times unwanted, legal advice. But he remained invisible to the American public, did not agree to participate in recorded interviews, nor did he appear as a live witness at a committee hearing.
The commission hopes this will change soon. Cheney, in particular, is determined to secure Cipollone’s cooperation – so far without luck.
But the summons could provide cover for Cipollone to cooperate with the committee, as Trump and his allies seek to prevent those in the former president’s orbit from providing the committee with potentially harmful information.
In his testimony, Hutchinson presented Chipolone as one of the last defensive walls blocking Trump’s efforts to cancel the election. She testified that on the morning of January 6, Chipolone came out with an urgent request, saying “something like, ‘Please make sure we don’t go up to the Capitol, Cassidy.’ Keep in touch with me. We will be accused of every crime we can imagine if we make this move happen. “
Tuesday’s surprise hearing was intended in part to increase pressure on reluctant witnesses such as Chipolone, according to investigators who, like others quoted in the story, spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions. One of these people said there was a behind-the-scenes strategy to get other witnesses to testify – especially Cipollone.
“He can probably give the best idea of how [former White House chief of staff Mark] meadows, [former Trump lawyer Rudy] “Giuliani and Trump have been told that what they are doing may be illegal,” said a person involved in the investigation.
Cheney has repeatedly told others that securing a lawyer’s appearance would be a big win for the commission. But two commission advisers said they feared his appearance would never happen.
“Cassidy said that to the world [Cipollone] he has first-hand knowledge and therefore evidence of crimes committed by Donald Trump, “said a person close to the investigation, speaking before the summons was issued. “The commission must summon him, convict him and refer him to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution.
Chipolone’s summons comes after lengthy negotiations for his possible co-operation, according to people familiar with the matter. While some fear that the commission’s firm tactics could have the opposite effect on investigators, other legal experts say lawmakers have exhausted all other options and are running out of time to provide important evidence.
“They’re in the middle of a hearing and they don’t have much time left, so they need to raise the temperature,” said Norm Eisen, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and Democrat adviser in the House of Representatives during the first Trump impeachment session. “Based on the commission’s public statement strongly encouraging Pat to come out, they appear to have tried every measure without a subpoena and he has refused to cooperate.
A cigar smoker with deep ties to Federalist society, Chipolone has maintained a relatively low profile since leaving the White House, avoiding high-profile media interviews and public appearances. Although Chipolone is a fairly reliable public ally of Trump, he is not close to the former president, according to many in Trump’s orbit.
For all the loyalists Trump surrounded himself with, Chipolone was closer to an apostate in the West Wing.
The lawyer has repeatedly opposed some of Trump’s most conspiratorial ideas and told associates that he should attend some of the meetings with outside advisers during which plans to try to cancel the 2020 election results were discussed. Chipolone never he disagreed with Trump’s claims that the election had been stolen, according to people who spoke to him at the time. After January 6, he objected to widespread pardons.
He and the team always said, “Oh, we’re going to resign,” Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and White House adviser, told investigators about Chipolone’s response to Trump’s potentially illegal activities, according to a recorded deposit played publicly by the commission. . “We won’t be here if this happens, if this happens.” So somehow I started whining about it to be honest with you. “
Trump has often criticized Chipolone, saying in private that he is one of the worst lawyers of all time. He even mocked Chipolone in his face in front of other advisers, saying, “Why do I have the worst lawyer?
Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony was unique. The consequences were not.
Trump shouted that Chipolone always told him no, according to a former senior administration official. However, some former White House officials have criticized the lawyer’s office for not doing more to repel Trump.
In recent months, Chipolone has made several moves that signal that he is no longer close to Trump. Most notably, he attended a book party for former Attorney General William P. Barr, mingling with a crowd that included some of the commission’s potential star witnesses. But he personally expressed skepticism to his allies about the testimony, saying he feared it would set a dangerous precedent.
A Trump adviser who is in contact with Chipolon said he was skeptical of the U.S. Court of Appeals’ ruling on DC Circuit that the House of Representatives had the right to ask the court to impose a summons on Donald McGann, another former White House councilor. Trump, for information about the executive branch.
“There are a lot of things [Cipollone] he believes he shouldn’t talk about it, “the councilor said. “He still respects the man more than he should, given the way he was treated [Trump]. He will not come in and start talking about everything. He would be super narrow and is a very careful person. He really has strong beliefs in the institution and that he must keep the privileges. “
A second person said that Chipolone is still a staunch Republican and believes that Democrats in the House of Representatives have repeatedly gone too far with their investigations against Trump.
An ally of Trump said he did not think Chipolone should testify.
“I don’t think I’m so sure about the institution and the presidency that this is a good idea,” said Senator Lindsey O. Graham (RS.C.). “The 9/11 commission is working differently. This is a stacked deck, if there ever was one. They take this lady out, drop something that looks like a bomb; have not made the due check. It just seems so political. If I were him, I wouldn’t go in, but it’s up to him. “
The committee received increasing attention from Trump’s allies on Wednesday to highlight Hutchinson’s allegations that Trump attacked a secret service officer and tried to grab the steering wheel of the presidential SUV. A person familiar with the committee’s direct knowledge said the committee had no direct evidence to corroborate or refute Hutchinson’s testimony, and some people involved in the committee’s work said they hoped more would emerge. evidence in support of her allegations.
Another prominent former White House adviser, who eventually testified before Congress about his role in covering up the Watergate scandal, said he believed Chipolon had a moral imperative to cooperate with the commission.
“He has vowed to defend and defend the Constitution three times, twice when he was admitted to the bar with licenses he still holds, and once when he took a job as a White House adviser, and I think oaths are serious issues. , “Said John Dean, Richard M. Nixon …
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