The House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight has recommended that former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney face a criminal investigation for alleged witness tampering during her time on the Jan. 6 Select Committee. The recommendation comes as the political fallout from the Capitol riot investigation continues to reverberate, exposing the deeply partisan nature of the committee’s work and raising questions about potential abuses of power.

Despite the growing scrutiny, President Joe Biden awarded Cheney the Presidential Citizens Medal, one of the nation’s highest civilian honors, for her role in the Jan. 6 investigation. This decision has drawn sharp criticism, especially after reports emerged that Biden regretted the Justice Department’s (DOJ) hesitancy in pursuing more aggressive action against his political opponents. Alongside Cheney, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who chaired the Jan. 6 Select Committee, also received the medal.

Fox News contributor Guy Benson highlighted the irony of the award, pointing out on X (formerly Twitter) that Thompson himself had refused to certify George W. Bush’s 2004 election victory in Ohio. The double standards surrounding objections to presidential election results have been a recurring theme in the Jan. 6 discourse, with critics noting that Democrats objected to more states in the 2016 election than Republicans did in 2020. Yet, no Democrat faced criminal charges for their objections, while Republicans such as Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro were prosecuted and jailed for refusing to comply with the Jan. 6 committee’s subpoenas.

In response to the Jan. 6 committee’s findings, House Republicans launched their own investigation into the Capitol riot and the events leading up to it. Their probe has focused on then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s refusal to deploy the National Guard, a decision Republicans argue left the Capitol vulnerable to attack. Last month, the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight, led by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), released a nearly 130-page report that scrutinized the conduct of the Jan. 6 committee and issued a criminal referral recommending that Cheney face a DOJ probe for witness tampering.

According to Loudermilk’s report, Cheney used the encrypted Signal app to coordinate with former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. This coordination allegedly circumvented Hutchinson’s original attorney, Stefan Passantino, and led to a drastic shift in Hutchinson’s testimony. Initially a benign fact witness, Hutchinson’s testimony evolved into a sensational account that painted former President Donald Trump as attempting to physically commandeer a vehicle from his Secret Service detail to join the Capitol riot. These claims were widely discredited shortly after her testimony.

The report accuses Cheney of pressuring Hutchinson to change her legal representation and suggests that Cheney’s actions directly influenced Hutchinson’s testimony. “It is noteworthy that the drastic change in Hutchinson’s story occurred after Representative Cheney directed Hutchinson to fire her attorney and hire counsel that Representative Cheney suggested,” the report states. Hutchinson’s revised testimony became a centerpiece of the Jan. 6 hearings, but Loudermilk’s report claims her blockbuster allegations were not only dubious but orchestrated.

The allegations against Cheney have reignited debates over the integrity of the Jan. 6 committee’s investigation. Loudermilk’s team also highlighted the “irony” of Cheney potentially facing charges for witness interference, given her outspoken condemnation of such behavior during the hearings. In one hearing, Cheney warned that efforts to influence witness testimony would be taken “very seriously” and could result in criminal referrals to the DOJ. However, her own actions, as outlined in the report, suggest a stark contrast between her public statements and private conduct.

Cheney’s alleged interference has not gone unnoticed by legal and ethics watchdogs. Stefan Passantino, Hutchinson’s former attorney, faced an operation attempting to strip him of his law license based on claims he coached Hutchinson to lie. However, after multiple investigations, Passantino was cleared of any misconduct. He has since filed multiple lawsuits, including a $67 million suit against the federal government and a separate complaint against Cheney, both of which remain open and could lead to further court discovery.

Loudermilk’s report underscores the potential legal ramifications for Cheney, arguing that her actions warrant further investigation. “Whether lacking in self-awareness or to obfuscate her own furtive behavior, it is consistent with the Select Committee’s practice of lodging accusations against President Trump and those associated with him as if those accusations are fact, when the Select Committee itself was engaged in the very behavior it had accused of President Trump,” the report reads.

The controversy surrounding Cheney’s conduct on the Jan. 6 committee raises broader questions about the accountability of those in power. Critics argue that the committee’s work was marred by partisanship and a lack of transparency, ultimately undermining its credibility. The criminal referral for Cheney marks a significant turning point in the ongoing fallout from Jan. 6, as it shifts the focus from Trump and his allies to the actions of the committee members themselves.

As the DOJ considers the referral, the Biden administration’s decision to honor Cheney with the Presidential Citizens Medal has fueled accusations of hypocrisy. Critics contend that awarding such a prestigious honor to a figure under scrutiny for potential misconduct sends a troubling message about the standards of accountability in American politics.

The recommendation that Liz Cheney face a criminal probe for witness tampering represents a dramatic development in the post-Jan. 6 political landscape. It underscores the deeply partisan divide that continues to shape the nation’s discourse on democracy, accountability, and justice. As investigations and lawsuits proceed, the allegations against Cheney may serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of weaponizing political power for personal or partisan gain. Whether the DOJ will act on the referral remains uncertain, but the controversy is unlikely to dissipate anytime soon, keeping Cheney and the Jan. 6 committee’s legacy in the spotlight.

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