Cheney Ends Hearing By Presenting Evidence Trump Allies Are Tampering With Witnesses
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) presented evidence of witness tampering and even possible intimidation by Trump allies during her closing statement at Tuesday’s House Jan. 6 Committee.
“ I want to begin by thanking Ms. Hutchinson for her testimony today. We are all in her debt. Our nation is preserved by those who abide by their oaths to our constitution,” Cheney began, thanking Cassidy Hutchinson for her bombshell testimony.
“Our nation is preserved by those who know the fundamental difference between right and wrong. And I want all Americans to know that what Ms. Hutchinson has done today is not easy. The easy course is to hide from the spotlight, to refuse to come forward, to attempt to downplay or deny what happened,” Cheney added.
“That brings me to a different topic. While our committee has seen many witnesses, including many Republicans testify fully and forthrightly, this has not been true of every witness, and we have received evidence of one particular practice that raises significant concern,” continued Cheney, bringing up the issue of witness tampering.
“Our committee commonly asks witnesses connected to Mr. Trump’s administration or campaign whether they have been contacted by any of their former colleagues or anyone else who attempted to influence or impact their testimony,” she added.
“Without identifying any of the individuals involved, let me show you a couple of samples of answers we received to this question. First, here’s how one witness described phone calls from people interested in that witness’s testimony,” said Cheney before reading a quote:
What they said to me is as long as I continue to be a team player, they know I’m on the right team, I’m doing the right thing, I’m protecting who I need to protect. You know I’ll continue to stay in good graces in Trump world. And they have reminded me a couple of times that Trump does read transcripts and just keep that in mind as I proceed through my interviews with the committee.
“Here’s another sample in a different context. This is a call received by one of our witnesses,” she continued, before reading another quote:
A person let me know you have your deposition tomorrow. He wants me to let you know he’s thinking about you. He knows you’re loyal, and you’re going to do the right thing when you go in for your deposition.
“I think most Americans know what attempting to influence witnesses to testify untruthfully presents very serious concerns,” Cheney charged. “We will be discussing these issues as a committee and carefully considering our next steps,” she concluded.
Watch the full clip above via CNN
