President-elect Donald Trump has escalated his attacks on former Representative Liz Cheney, accusing her of criminal behavior linked to her involvement in the House Jan. 6 Committee.
According to The Hill, Trump’s claims center on accusations of witness tampering involving Cassidy Hutchinson, though legal experts deem prosecution unlikely.
The accusations were detailed in a report from Representative Barry Loudermilk, who criticized Cheney’s communications with Hutchinson, a key witness in the Jan. 6 hearings. According to Cheney’s memoir, she encouraged Hutchinson to seek alternative legal counsel. Hutchinson later testified that her initial attorney, funded by Trump’s allies, pressured her to avoid transparency.
Trump alleged that Cheney committed "egregious acts" and called her actions a disservice to Republicans. He also labeled her "unpopular" and praised Loudermilk for exposing what he described as corruption within the Jan. 6 Committee.
Loudermilk, a Republican from Georgia, claimed the committee was a politically driven effort to undermine Trump’s presidency. His report accused Cheney of unethical behavior but lacked substantive evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Hutchinson, who parted ways with her Trump-funded attorney, testified that the change allowed her to provide candid and truthful statements about the events surrounding Jan. 6. Her attorney, William Jordan, supported her decision, emphasizing her commitment to accountability.
Legal experts, including Representative Jamie Raskin, have dismissed the allegations against Cheney as unfounded. Raskin noted that Cheney’s actions were protected under the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause, which shields legislative duties from prosecution.
The Speech or Debate Clause does not cover unrelated criminal activities, but no such allegations exist in Cheney’s case. Elie Honig, a legal analyst, also stated that the claims of witness tampering lack credibility and evidence. Cheney defended her actions, calling Loudermilk’s report a baseless attack aimed at deflecting attention from Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 violence. She described the allegations as a cowardly attempt to distort the truth.
Hutchinson’s testimony included allegations against her former attorney, Stefan Passantino, who she claimed provided guidance aimed at limiting her transparency. Critics questioned aspects of her statements, noting that some were based on second-hand information.
Despite the scrutiny, Hutchinson has stood by her testimony. Jordan dismissed claims of collusion between Cheney and Hutchinson, reiterating that her testimony was both truthful and independent.
Raskin emphasized that Cheney’s encouragement for Hutchinson to testify truthfully was the opposite of witness tampering. He described the accusations as unfounded and politically motivated. Rep. Jamie Raskin said, "It is not a crime in America to tell someone to testify truthfully. That’s the opposite of witness tampering and suborning perjury."
The report criticized the Jan. 6 Committee as a partisan endeavor, a sentiment echoed by Trump and Loudermilk. However, Democrats, including Representative Bennie Thompson, accused the report of ignoring the core issues of the Jan. 6 violence and Trump’s involvement.
Honig and other analysts concluded that the claims against Cheney are unlikely to result in legal consequences. Cheney’s defenders argued that her actions were focused on ensuring accountability and transparency in the investigation.
The Jan. 6 Committee’s final report, spanning 845 pages, remains a significant account of the events leading up to and during the Capitol attack. Raskin dismissed Loudermilk’s critique as an attempt to undermine its findings.
Trump’s allegations against Cheney reflect ongoing tensions within the Republican Party over the legacy of Jan. 6 and his presidency. While the accusations have sparked controversy, legal experts largely view them as politically motivated rather than legally viable.
