Former Rep. Liz Cheney, who played a prominent role as vice chairwoman of the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol breach, is facing serious ethical questions following reports that she used an encrypted messaging app to communicate with a key witness.
According to congressional investigators and Just the News, Cheney’s use of the app Signal involved communications with Cassidy Hutchinson, a former Trump White House aide, and her associate Alyssa Farah Griffin. These exchanges took place in June 2022, while Hutchinson was still represented by attorney Stefan Passantino, raising red flags about whether Cheney circumvented defense counsel.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), who is now leading a review of the January 6 investigation as chairman of the House Administration oversight subcommittee, uncovered the encrypted messages. He has expressed deep concerns about the ethical and legal implications of Cheney’s actions.
Loudermilk pointed out that Cheney, as a licensed attorney, should have been fully aware of the potential violations of ethical protocols involved in contacting a represented witness without their lawyer’s consent. “Communicating with a witness without their attorney present is unethical,” Loudermilk told Just the News, “and it undermines the integrity of an investigation.”
The timeline of events is particularly significant. When Cheney began these back-channel communications with Hutchinson, Hutchinson had not yet publicly shifted her testimony. According to reports, Cheney’s involvement coincided with Hutchinson’s decision to part ways with Passantino as her attorney, a move allegedly influenced by Cheney herself. Cheney reportedly helped secure a new attorney for Hutchinson, allowing her to continue cooperating with the January 6 committee under a new legal framework.
In early communications between Hutchinson and Alyssa Farah Griffin, Cheney had initially expressed reluctance to contact Hutchinson directly, citing concerns about ethical lines due to her existing legal representation.
However, by June 6, Hutchinson had reached out to Cheney herself, sparking a more direct interaction that included private phone calls. Hutchinson also shared a screenshot of guidance from her attorney Passantino, without his knowledge or consent, further complicating the legal situation.
Passantino, who only learned of these interactions after being contacted by Just the News, expressed frustration over being left in the dark about the communication between his client and Cheney. He has indicated that he may pursue legal action, as the conversations could be seen as a breach of protocol, particularly given the significant changes in Hutchinson’s testimony that followed.
Hutchinson’s testimony became a focal point of the January 6 committee’s final report. After switching legal counsel, Hutchinson provided new and more dramatic accounts, including the claim that former President Donald Trump attempted to grab the steering wheel of the presidential vehicle on January 6 in an effort to drive himself to the Capitol. These allegations, although widely contested by other witnesses, were included in the committee’s final findings.
