The Committee on House Administration’s Subcommittee on Oversight has released a new interim report regarding the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and the conduct of the Jan. 6 Committee.
The report concluded that the events of Jan. 6 were preventable and alleged that former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney may have communicated with a witness, Cassidy Hutchinson, suggesting Cheney should be investigated for possible criminal witness tampering. The report also highlighted alleged issues with Hutchinson’s testimony and claimed the Committee knew some of her statements were false.
In response, Cheney issued a statement defending herself while attacking the report.
Liz Cheney responds to GOP threat: pic.twitter.com/LIK3CdjNt3
— Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) December 17, 2024
“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 stated. “The January 6th Committee’s hearings and report featured scores of Republican witnesses, including many of the most senior officials from Trump’s own White House, campaign, and Administration. All of this testimony was painstakingly set out in thousands of pages of transcripts, made public along with a highly detailed and meticulously sourced 800-page report. The Department of Justice conducted its own independent investigation and reached the same fundamental conclusions.
“Now, Chairman Loudermilk’s interim report intentionally disregards the truth and the Select Committee’s tremendous weight of evidence, and instead fabricates lies and defamatory allegations in an attempt to cover up what Donald Trump did. Their allegations do not reflect a review of the actual evidence and are a malicious and cowardly assault on the truth. No reputable lawyer, legislator, or judge would take this seriously.”
Cheney’s claims about Trump contradict documented evidence, as Trump did instruct protesters to act peacefully and later urged them to go home. However, Cheney notably avoided addressing the specific allegations regarding her alleged communications with Hutchinson.
Cheney’s statement also dismisses the idea of the allegations being taken seriously, but this confidence may be premature, as the FBI may yet investigate the matter. Her sharp response and defensive tone suggest concern about potential consequences.
Additionally, speculation has arisen about whether President Joe Biden might issue pardons in January before leaving office, with Cheney’s name surfacing in discussions about such considerations. If Biden does act, it would likely be just before Jan. 20 to avoid scrutiny, but that remains to be seen.
