While serving as the vice chairwoman of the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol breach, former Rep. Liz Cheney reportedly used an encrypted messaging app to communicate with a key witness, possibly sidestepping defense counsel and raising ethical concerns.
According to evidence obtained by congressional investigators and Just the News, Cheney’s communications via Signal involved witness Cassidy Hutchinson and her associate, Alyssa Farah Griffin. The messages, exchanged on June 6, 2022, were uncovered by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), chairman of the House Administration oversight subcommittee. Loudermilk’s investigation has revealed substantial issues with the original Democrat-led probe into the events of January 6.
During the period when the communication occurred, Cassidy Hutchinson was being represented by attorney Stefan Passantino. Passantino told Just the News that he had not been informed about the contacts between Hutchinson and Cheney, nor had he given any authorization for them. He only became aware of the interactions after Just the News contacted him directly.
“Our investigation has uncovered unethical back-channel communications between former Rep. Liz Cheney and Cassidy Hutchinson just before Hutchinson changed her sworn testimony,” Loudermilk told the outlet. “Not only is communicating with a witness without their attorney present unethical, it undermines the integrity of an investigation.
“As a licensed attorney, Liz Cheney would have known the ethical and legal issues with this communication,” Loudermilk continued. “Clearly, Cheney did not want Stefan Passantino representing Hutchinson; as shortly after Cheney and Hutchinson began communicating, Cheney convinced Hutchinson to fire Passantino, and arranged for a new attorney to represent Hutchinson pro-bono. ”
In early 2022, exchanges between former colleagues Cassidy Hutchinson and Alyssa Farah Griffin unveiled that Representative Liz Cheney was initially reluctant to directly interact with Hutchinson, a possible witness, due to ethical worries about legal representation. At the time, Hutchinson, who had previously worked in the Trump White House, was considering her third deposition before Cheney’s committee as the 2022 midterm elections neared. Despite Cheney’s early reservations, as indicated in an April 28 message from Griffin to Hutchinson, Cheney eventually engaged directly with Hutchinson.
On June 6, Hutchinson initiated contact with Cheney, which led to a secure conversation and phone call. During this interaction, Hutchinson shared a screenshot of guidance from her then-lawyer, Stefan Passantino, without his consent. Passantino later voiced her dismay upon discovering these unauthorized discussions and contemplated legal action due to the breach of protocol.
Cheney’s role became more direct after Hutchinson decided to part ways with Passantino. In her memoir, Hutchinson acknowledged Cheney’s help in securing new legal counsel, allowing her to proceed with her committee involvement without charge. Hutchinson regarded this assistance as a pivotal support that offered her “hope,” according to Just The News.
This resulted in Hutchinson modifying parts of her testimony, significantly altering the account she provided to the committee. This included explosive claims about former President Trump’s actions on January 6, such as his purported attempt to grab the presidential vehicle’s steering wheel. Despite being contested by other accounts, these assertions were ultimately included in the committee’s final report.
