Something smells fishy.
Despite the United States Secret Service volunteering to speak to the Jan. 6 Select Committee about Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony, the panel is yet to contact the agency.
Following Hutchinson’s testimony on Tuesday (June 28), which included in-person testimony about the alleged events that took place between one Secret Service — Robert Engel — and former President Donald Trump, as told to her by another agent — Tony Ornato, the USSS seemingly volunteered to go on record to challenge Hutchinson’s retelling of events.
According to reports, the Secret Service agents present in the Presidential vehicle on Jan. 6 are “willing and eager” to go on the record in what appears to be a potential rebuttal.
Yet, by Wednesday (June 29) afternoon, the panel had not reached out to the USSS to schedule additional testimony.
The concern about getting additional testimony comes after Hutchinson, a top aide to former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, pained a picture of an unhinged Trump.
Hutchinson relayed how she was told by Tony Ornato, a Secret Service agent serving as deputy chief of staff at the time, how the former President had attempted to grab the wheel of his Presidential car, dubbed “the Beast,” after requesting to go to the Capitol, before lunging at his security detail Robert Engel, who told him it wouldn’t be possible to go to the Capitol.
Hutchinson, 25, in her two-hour testimony, noted that Ornato told her about Trump’s “very strong, very angry response” to being told he couldn’t be taken to the Capitol, adding that after exclaiming, “I’m the f–ing President. Take me up to the Capitol now,” Trump “lunged” at the wheel when he was refused.
According to Hutchinson, this is when Engel put his hands on the former President’s arm and said: “Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel. We’re going back to the West Wing. We’re not going to the Capitol.”
But the accuracy of Hutchinson’s testimony came into question almost immediately when Ornato released a statement on Wednesday denying all of Hutchinson’s claims.
Reporting by POLITICO also noted the significance of the panel failing to reach out to the USSS before Hutchinson testified, despite the Secret Service assuring the committee they “can access any documents or witnesses” deemed relevant.
