Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) is pushing back against allegations in a new House subcommittee report claiming she likely engaged in “witness tampering” during her role on the January 6 Select Committee. The report, released by House Administration Subcommittee Chair Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), calls for an FBI investigation into Cheney’s conduct.
The findings claim that the January 6 Select Committee, which investigated the 2021 Capitol riot, operated outside acceptable bounds, suppressed key evidence and deleted critical information. Loudermilk’s report asserts that Cheney tampered with at least one witness, Cassidy Hutchinson, by allegedly communicating with her without the knowledge of Hutchinson’s attorney.
Cheney Defends Her Actions and Criticizes Trump
Cheney responded forcefully to the report on BlueSky, the liberal alternative to Elon Musk’s X, accusing Loudermilk of distorting the facts to shield President-elect Donald Trump from criticism.
“January 6th showed Donald Trump for who he really is – a cruel and vindictive man who allowed violent attacks to continue against our Capitol and law enforcement officers while he watched television and refused for hours to instruct his supporters to stand down and leave,” Cheney wrote. She emphasized that the Select Committee’s findings were based on testimony from senior Republican officials and documented in an 800-page report supported by extensive transcripts and evidence.
Cheney dismissed the subcommittee’s allegations as “malicious and cowardly” and claimed they were designed to distract from Trump’s role in the Capitol attack. “No reputable lawyer, legislator or judge would take this seriously,” she added.
GOP Pushes Back, Calls for Accountability
Rep. Loudermilk countered that his subcommittee’s findings reveal misconduct by the January 6 Select Committee and its leadership. “Based on the evidence obtained by this Subcommittee, numerous federal laws were likely broken by Liz Cheney… These violations should be investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” the report states, which was shared with Fox News Digital:
Less than two weeks after firing her original attorney and hiring “the attorneys Representative Cheney suggested – Hutchinson sat for her fourth transcribed interview with the Select Committee under unusual circumstances,” the report states.
“Prior to this interview, nearly every interview the Select Committee conducted included approximately a dozen people – including committee staff members, committee counsel, often a Member of the Select Committee, the interviewee, and the interviewee’s legal representation. Most of the interviews were done in large conference rooms or over zoom, allowing space for all participants. Hutchinson’s fourth transcribed interview, however, was vastly different. It consisted of only four people: Representative Cheney, one attorney from the Select Committee, Hutchinson, and Hutchinson’s new counsel. Additionally, instead of the Select Committee conducting the interview in a conference room or virtually, Representative Cheney used her private hideaway inside of the United States Capitol Building,” the report states.
The House Republican report continued that Hutchinson’s testimony to the Jan. 6 committee was crucial, arguing “it is unlikely the Select Committee could make its assertions about President Trump’s mood, attitude, and alleged culpability in the events of January 6” without her comments.
“Hutchinson is mentioned by name in the Select Committee’s Final Report no fewer than 185 times. Inexplicably, the Select Committee discredited the multitude of legitimate witnesses who, under oath, repeatedly refuted Hutchinson’s testimony. These legitimate witnesses include senior government officials and federal agents.”
The January 6 Select Committee report highlights Hutchinson’s testimony, alleging that Trump attempted to grab the steering wheel of a Secret Service vehicle during the events of Jan. 6. According to Hutchinson, the driver informed the reportedly irate president that they were returning to the White House, not proceeding to the Capitol. However, the account was disputed by Anthony Ornato, a former assistant director of the Secret Service.
The Legacy of the January 6 Committee
The committee, formed in July 2021, aimed to investigate the Capitol breach and the violence surrounding it. Cheney, once a rising star in the Republican Party, became persona non grata in the GOP after her outspoken criticism of Trump and her role as vice-chair of the committee.
While her supporters commend her for standing against Trump, Cheney’s detractors within the Trump-dominated GOP view her actions as a betrayal.
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“ January 6th showed Donald Trump for who he really is – a cruel and vindictive man who allowed violent attacks to continue against our Capitol and law enforcement officers while he watched television and refused for hours to instruct his supporters to stand down and leave,” Cheney wrote.
Repeating proven lies that don’t even address the accusations of her own misconduct is about the weakest response imaginable. In fact, if this is all she has to offer, it suggests she is guilty as charged. It also opens her to charges and convictions for defamation.
Hard to imagine a worse response.