Lofgren: Cipollone Was Not Asked About Cassidy Hutchinson’s Testimony

Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the House Committee investigating the January 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol did not ask former Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone about the testimony from Mark Meadows’ former aide Cassidy Hutchinson.

Anchor Jake Tapper asked, “You heard from another key witness this week, White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who sat with you on Friday. Your committee said he gave critical testimony that shows, quote, ‘Donald Trump’s supreme dereliction of duty,’ unquote. What does the committee mean by that? And will we hear excerpts of Cipollone’s testimony in this week’s hearings?”

Lofgren said, “Yes, we will have some excerpts of Mr. Cipollone’s testimony. He was able to provide information on basically all of the critical issues we’re looking at and including the president’s, what I would call dereliction of duty, on the day of January 6. So, yes, that was important. As you know, the committee rules don’t allow us to disclose the testimony without a vote of the committee. That hasn’t happened yet, but it was important testimony.”

Tapper asked, “Former Mark Meadows’ aide Cassidy Hutchinson said Cipollone said something along the lines, they would be charged with every crime imaginable if Trump went up to the Capitol. Two sources told CNN that the committee did not ask Pat Cipollone whether he said that. Is that true? If so, why wouldn’t you ask him that?”

Lofgren said, “We never call in witnesses to corroborate other witnesses or to give their reaction to other witnesses. But I will say that he did an interview with us for eight hours and provided very insightful information. And that augments and certainly does not dispute Ms. Hutchinson’s testimony. So, stay tuned for this week’s hearings. We think they’ll be worth attending.”

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