According to post millennial, in 2022, Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, testified before the J6 House Select Committee, revealing various aspects of her involvement in the events of January 6. Among her claims was the assertion that former President Donald Trump had attempted to seize control of the steering wheel of a limousine known as “the beast” on that day. Furthermore, her recent book excerpts unveiled allegations that she was “groped” by Rudy Giuliani while backstage at the rally on the Ellipse during the same event.
Hutchinson’s legal representation during her testimonies played a crucial role in her appearances before the committee. She was initially counseled by attorney Stefan Passantino, who advised her to be truthful and forthcoming in her May 17, 2022 testimony. Subsequently, she hired attorney Jody Hunt, who provided guidance for her deposition before the House on June 20, 2022.
However, MSNBC’s Andrew Weissmann took to Twitter to make assertions about Hutchinson’s legal representation, particularly targeting Jody Hunt. Weissmann claimed that Hunt was a good lawyer for Hutchinson, distinguishing him from the attorney who allegedly coached her to lie during her testimony. Additionally, Weissmann mentioned Hunt’s involvement in taking notes of a statement attributed to Trump regarding the Mueller investigation.
Weissmann’s statements were likely based on Hutchinson’s testimony before the J6 House Select Committee, which appeared to suggest discrepancies in her legal counsel’s advice. In particular, the committee’s final report referenced Hutchinson’s lawyer advising her that she could deny recalling certain facts when, in fact, she did remember them. The report further alleged that Hutchinson’s attorney, Passantino at the time, suggested she respond by stating that she did not recall events she actually remembered. Hutchinson was also advised not to share information about her testimony with the press.
A lawsuit filed by Stefan Passantino against Andrew Weissmann presents a different perspective. The lawsuit includes text messages exchanged between Hutchinson and a friend during her initial deposition before the committee. In these messages, Hutchinson admitted that she did not initially want to cooperate with the committee but stated that Passantino had encouraged her to do so.
Hutchinson expressed concerns in the text messages about the possibility of her testimony being leaked to the press by the J6 House Special Committee. She discussed her intention to release a public statement preemptively to counter any potential leaks. Hutchinson also mentioned her desire to reach out to the media to present her version of events.
In the lawsuit, Passantino emphasized that Hutchinson had acknowledged that he encouraged her to cooperate with the Select Committee and that he did not instruct her to lie. Hutchinson’s own words during her September 14, 2022 testimony before the J6 House Committee supported this assertion, as she clarified that Passantino had never told her to lie but had advised her not to lie.
Hunt also is Cassidy Hutchinson’s good lawyer. (Not the one who coached her to lie) And he is the guy who took notes of Trump saying, when Mueller was appointed, quoting him as saying “I’m f….d” https://t.co/HFGmwI9f0B
— Andrew Weissmann (weissmann11 on Threads)🌻 (@AWeissmann_) September 15, 2023
