House GOP January 6 Committee Faces Scrutiny Over Cassidy Hutchinson Testimony and Alleged Text Scandal
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House Republicans have launched a new select committee to investigate the deadly January 6th Capitol riots incited by President Donald Trump, four years after the attack. However, the committee’s work may not include testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson, the star witness of the original January 6th Committee hearings in 2022.
According to The Washington Post, an aide to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) warned last year that subpoenaing Hutchinson could risk exposing “sexually explicit” text messages allegedly sent to her by Republican House members.
The issue arose after Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) suggested bringing Hutchinson back to Capitol Hill to address her previous interactions with former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who co-chaired the original January 6th Committee.
“Before that meeting, a Johnson aide told Loudermilk’s staff that multiple colleagues had raised concerns with the speaker’s office about the potential for public disclosure of ‘sexual texts from members who were trying to engage in sexual favors’ with Hutchinson,” the Post reported. The aide also noted concerns that Hutchinson “could potentially reveal embarrassing information.”
Hutchinson’s attorney, Bill Jordan, dismissed these efforts to undermine her credibility, stating that his client remains steadfast in her testimony. “Ms. Hutchinson has testified truthfully and stands behind every word despite the efforts of men in powerful positions to attack her,” Jordan told the Post.
Hutchinson’s pivotal testimony during the original January 6th hearings included explosive details about Trump’s actions on the day of the riot and the inner workings of the White House. Her credibility has been a frequent target of Trump’s allies, but she has consistently defended the accuracy of her statements under oath.
The new Republican-led select committee is expected to take a different approach than its predecessor, which focused on holding Trump accountable for inciting the attack. Critics of the new committee see it as a political attempt to deflect blame and discredit past witnesses like Hutchinson.
The revelations about concerns over embarrassing disclosures add a layer of intrigue to the new investigation and raise questions about the motivations behind decisions on witnesses. As the committee begins its work, Hutchinson’s absence and the alleged efforts to tarnish her reputation underscore the lingering divisions and high stakes surrounding the January 6th investigations.
