The Story is not Pat Cipollone
It's Steve Bannon
Former White House Counsel to President Donald Trump, Pat Cipollone, testified behind closed doors Friday before the Select House Committee to Investigate the Januray 6th Attack on the Capitol.
According to Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Cipollone did not contradict the testimony of other witnesses. That means all the consersations with Cassidy Hutchinson have been corroborated1. Plus that of Jeffrey Rosen, Richard Donoghue, and Jeff Engel as well.
But more importantly, with a trial looming for contempt of Congress, Steve Bannon now kind of wants to testify before the January 6th Committee2.
Unfortunately, the legal ploy won’t work. The contempt charge is a Department of Justice indictment and trying to back-door a legal defense that will not work (a.k.a. “I decided to cooperate with a congressional committee — after I was already charged with Contempt of Congress in federal court.”).
Plus, Bannon wants Trump to waive “executive privilege” and get some other guarantees, which is what he asserted as a basis for defying a congressional subpoena.
Sounds like Bannon’s lawyers have already told him he is unliklely to be acquitted at trial. And given the narrative that will be a best selling Final Committee Report this Fall, a year in prison plus $100,000 fine.
Some political realism.
The pivot from fighting subpoenas to cooperation with the January 6th Committee is a certain proof that there are enough facts to buttress indictable conduct against multiple people including Trump. And that will put pressure on the Committee to make out criminal referrals well before Nocvember 8, 2022.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3550694-logfren-says-cipollone-did-not-contradict-the-testimony-of-other-witnesses-in-meeting-with-jan-6-panel/
https://www.rawstory.com/jan-6-steve-bannon/