Topline
Pat Cipollone, former White House counsel to then-President Donald Trump, agreed to testify before the House Select committee investigating the January 6 riot at the Capitol, multiple news outlets reported Wednesday, one week after the committee subpoenaed the former top White House attorney.
Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 21, … [+]
Key Facts
Cipollone will testify under oath for a videotaped interview behind closed doors on Friday, multiple news outlets report citing sources familiar with the matter.
The January 6 committee subpoenaed Cipollone at the end of last month, and set July 6 as the date for the deposition, but the interview date was extended until July 8, CNN reports.
The New York Times reports people close to Cipollone have cautioned his cooperation may be limited due to attorney-client privilege, but committee investigators have stressed the importance of his testimony.
The January 6 committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes.
Key Background
The committee revealed Cipollone had sat for an “informal interview” in April, but declined to appear again, leading the committee to issue a subpoena. Cipollone joined the White House in December 2018, where he backed Trump during the House’s 2019 impeachment inquiry. But After Trump lost the election, Cipollone reportedly pushed back against Trump’s baseless claims of the election being stolen from him due to unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud, and argued against Trump taking legally questionable actions, like seizing voting machines and sending false letters about election fraud. Committee Vice Chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said during a hearing in June the committee was interested in speaking with Cipollone because “our evidence shows that Mr. Cipollone and his office tried to do what was right. They tried to stop a number of President Trump’s plans for January 6th.”
News Peg
January 6 committee members have urged Cipollone to voluntarily appear before the committee as the hearings on the committee’s findings have ramped up, particularly following the public testimony from former senior aide to then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Cassidy Hutchinson. Hutchinson testified Cipollone had expressed concerns about Trump’s and Meadows’ actions on January 6. Hutchinson said Cipollone told her Trump would “get charged with every crime imaginable,” if he went to the Capitol on January 6. Cheney said during a hearing in June “the American people deserve to hear from Mr. Cipollone personally.”
Further Reading
Jan. 6 Committee Subpoenas Trump White House Counsel Pat Cipollone (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2022/07/06/trump-white-house-lawyer-pat-cipollone-agrees-to-testify-before-jan-6-committee-after-subpoena/