Former Rep. Liz Cheney is facing calls from GOP lawmakers to be investigated by the FBI for "potential criminal witness tampering" during her tenure on the Jan. 6 House Select Committee, according to a report released Tuesday by House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight Chair Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga.
"Based on the evidence obtained by this Subcommittee, numerous federal laws were likely broken by Liz Cheney, the former Vice Chair of the January 6 Select Committee, and these violations should be investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Evidence uncovered by the Subcommittee revealed that former Congresswoman Liz Cheney tampered with at least one witness, Cassidy Hutchinson, by secretly communicating with Hutchinson without Hutchinson's attorney's knowledge," the report, which was provided to Fox Digital, found.
The Republicans' 128-page interim report comes as Trump prepares for a potential return to the White House, aiming to fill top administration roles with loyalists, including Kash Patel as FBI Director. Trump has also pledged to pardon individuals convicted for their involvement in the Capitol riot.
The Jan. 6 committee was established in July 2021 to investigate the attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, which occurred before President Biden's inauguration on January 20. The investigation was conducted while Democrats controlled the House.
The Jan. 6 committee concluded its 18-month investigation last year, just before Republicans regained control of the House. It recommended the Justice Department pursue criminal charges against Trump for his role in the events leading up to the Capitol breach. The committee included seven Democrats and two Republicans, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, both of whom have since left office.
In January 2023, Rep. Barry Loudermilk's subcommittee was tasked with reviewing the Jan. 6 committee and its findings.
The House Republicans' report released Tuesday accused former Rep. Liz Cheney of "direct intervention" with Cassidy Hutchinson, the Jan. 6 investigation's star witness. The report claims Cheney allegedly encouraged Hutchinson to hire attorneys aligned with the Select Committee rather than retain her original legal representation.
Hutchinson, who served as an aide to Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, testified before the committee that she was informed of Trump allegedly becoming "irate" on Jan. 6, 2021. She claimed Trump attempted to join his supporters at the Capitol after delivering a speech at the Ellipse, a park south of the White House. According to Hutchinson, Trump allegedly tried to grab the steering wheel of a Secret Service SUV, but the driver reportedly stopped him, insisting they were headed to the White House, not the Capitol.
Hutchinson's account was disputed by Anthony Ornato, who was the White House deputy chief of staff for operations under Trump and previously served in the Secret Service.
