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Pat Cipollone is set to testify before the House Committee investigating the attack on January 6 on the U.S. Capitol. According to someone briefed, the testimony will be recorded Friday.
Cipollone’s reported resistance to Trump’s plans to reverse his 2020 electoral defeat has made him an important and possibly revelatory witness. The select committee subpoenaed him last week, after several weeks of pressure from the public to give testimony.
The person briefed about the matter spoke to The Associated Press under the condition that anonymity was maintained to discuss private negotiations. He stated that Cipollone had agreed to be interviewed for a confidential, transcribed interview before the committee.
Cipollone, Trump’s chief White House lawyer was present in the West Wing Jan. 6 2021, and for important meetings during the chaotic weeks following the election. This included key meetings with Trump associates (including Rudolph W. Giuliani, Republican legislator) who discussed and planned ways to contest the election.
The agreement to allow Cipollone speak at the panel comes after last week’s shocking testimony by Cassidy Hutchinson, a former Trump White House aide. This young assistant to the former chief of staff Mark Meadows gave the panel a vivid account of her experiences over those two weeks. She also presented legislators with what is likely their most compelling case against Trump and his associates being criminally liable.
Cipollone was said to have repeatedly and stridently warned Trump and his aides against any attempts to contest the election. He threatened to resign while Trump stared at a dramatic reshuffle at the Justice Department.
One witness claimed that Cipollone called a proposal letter making false claims regarding voter fraud a “murder/suicide agreement.” A second witness stated that Cipollone warned her about Trump’s potential for committing “every criminal imaginable” should he visit the Capitol Jan. 6
However, his interview with committee members could be an important breakthrough. It remains unclear if Cipollone will try to restrict what he’s willing to discuss. He could claim that Trump’s conversations are confidential as he is the chief attorney of the Administration.
This story was contributed by Nomaan merchant, Associated Press writer.
