Rep. Liz Cheney, vice chair of the Jan. 6 committee, established at the beginning of Tuesday’s hearing that Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, is among the most knowledgeable witnesses interviewed by the panel because of her close proximity to a variety of key players in the West Wing.
Not only did Hutchinson work in the West Wing, “several steps down the hall from the Oval Office,” but also “spoke daily with members of Congress, with high-ranking officials in the administration, with senior White House staff, including Mr. Meadows, with White House Counsel’s office lawyers, and with Mr. Tony Ornato who served as the White House Deputy Chief of Staff,” Cheney said.
“She also worked on a daily basis with members of the Secret Service who were posted in the White House,” she added. “In short, Ms. Hutchinson was in a position to know a great deal about the happenings in the Trump White House.”
Hutchinson has already sat for four video-taped interviews with the committee, Cheney also noted.
CNN previously reported that Hutchinson went over “new ground” with the committee last month, though it was not immediately clear what was discussed during that deposition.
During one hearing last week, the committee played a video clip of Hutchinson testifying that Meadows and former President Donald Trump’s onetime attorney Rudy Giuliani were involved in early conversations about putting forward fake slates of electors — a core tenet of the broader effort to overturn the 2020 election.
The panel has also played video of Hutchinson testifying that Rep. Scott Perry, a Pennsylvania Republican, wanted then-Justice Department lawyer Jeffrey Clark to take over the department — connecting another key part of Trump’s effort to upend Joe Biden’s election win.
Hutchinson has named several Republican members of Congress who she said had inquired about pardons, either for themselves or others, around Jan. 6, 2021, according to other video played by the committee during its hearings, including: Perry and Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida, Mo Brooks of Alabama, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Jim Jordan of Ohio and Louie Gohmert of Texas.
CNN has reported that during one of her interviews with the committee, Hutchinson said Trump had suggested to Meadows that he approved of the “hang Mike Pence” chants from rioters who stormed the US Capitol.
She also testified that Trump had complained about his then-vice president being hustled to safety while Trump supporters breached the Capitol, the sources previously told CNN.