Donald Trump’s White House counsel Pat Cipollone, considered a critical witness by lawmakers suggesting his testimony is a missing link, is expected to testify behind closed doors on Friday with the Jan. 6 committee.
Previously in April, the former White House lawyer met for an informal interview with investigators of the House committee probing the 2021 attack on the Capitol and a subpoena issued to him last week has resulted in his appearance before the panel, where his interview Cipollone will be transcribed and videotaped.
Cipollone was subpoenaed by the Select Committee’s Chairman Bennie Thompson one day after the explosive testimony of the former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson about Trump and his allies in the run-up to and on Jan. 6.
She claimed that Cipollone warned her to stop Trump from going to the Capitol on Jan. 6 while Vice President Mike Pence was preparing to certify the election results before Congress.
Hutchinson testified last week that she saw Cipollone near the White House before Trump’s rally on the morning of Jan. 6 and that he warned her that they were going to get charged with every crime imaginable if Trump goes to the Capitol.
According to a person familiar with the matter, he had previously resisted formally cooperating and speaking with the panel despite the repeated, public calls from the committee’s ranking Republican, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming.
Thompson and Cheney said in a statement last week that the investigation of the committee has revealed evidence showing that Cipollone repeatedly raised legal and other concerns about Trump’s activities on Jan. 6 and in the days that preceded.
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