The Jan. 6 Commission is not publicly discussing any action to verify or support the key claim made by former Trump administration aide Cassidy Hutchinson in a hearing last week. Hutchinson, who worked closely with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, detailed several key events via video and testimony during the hearing. Most explosively, former President Donald Trump, upset that the US Secret Service (USSS) was not taking him to Capitol Hill, reportedly tried to grab the steering wheel of a presidential vehicle and crashed into an agent. Hutchinson was describing what she said was a version of events told to her by former Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Tony Ornato after the Jan. 6 incident. Hutchinson said Ornato told her the incident occurred after Trump left his rally at the Ellipse and asked to be taken to the Capitol, where Congress was certifying the results of the presidential election. “The president reached over the front of the vehicle to grab the steering wheel. [Secret Service agent Bobby] Engel grabbed his hand, said, “Sir, you have to take your hand off the wheel. We return to the West Wing. We’re not going to the Capitol,” Hutchinson said, citing Ornato. “Trump used his free hand to lunge at Bobby Engel. When Mr. Ornato told me this story, he gestured toward his keys.” Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson said former Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Tony Ornato said former President Donald Trump tried to grab the wheel of a presidential vehicle when he was told by Secret Service agents he could not go to the Capitol in January. 6. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) The Jan. 6 Commission on Tuesday did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital asking if it has tried to speak with Ornato or Engel since the hearing. He also did not respond to questions about whether he reached out to the Secret Service to verify the allegations, whether there might be further calls about Hutchinson’s claims or whether he has taken any other action to verify what he said. USSS spokesman Anthony Gugliemi said the agency had no information to share when asked if the commission had taken further steps to verify Hutchinson’s allegations. SECRET SERVICE SAYS JANUARY 6 COMMITTEE DIDN’T COMMUNICATE AGENT PRIOR TO HUTCHINSON’S TESTIMONY ON TRUMP PNEUMONIA A source close to Ornato told Fox News that Ornato was shocked when Hutchinson made the allegation about the steering wheel. That source said both Ornato and Engel would be willing to testify before the committee to refute that part of Hutchinson’s story. USSS spokesman Gugliemi also confirmed to Fox News Wednesday that the commission did not contact her in the days before the hearing to verify Hutchinson’s claims. In the days since Hutchinson’s testimony was first challenged, several members of the committee have spoken out publicly and sided with Hutchinson. They also say they would be happy to hear from anyone challenging Hutchinson under oath. However, neither has detailed further efforts by the committee to verify the parts of her testimony that are disputed. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., told CNN on Sunday that anyone wishing to challenge Hutchinson’s testimony should not do so through the media and should attach their names to their comments. “Well, there’s information that I can’t say yet, but we would definitely say that Cassidy Hutchinson has testified under oath. We find her credible and anyone who wants to discount that, which was firsthand, should come and testify under oath as well. and not through anonymous sources, quote, without potentially being an anonymous source,” Kinzinger said. Vice President Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., delivers opening remarks as the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds its first public hearing to reveal the findings of a year-long investigation, in Washington Capitol, Thursday, June 9, 2022. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., listens at right. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) TONY ORNATO DIDN’T TELL CASSIDY HUTCHINSON THAT TRUMP TRIED TO SNAP ON SECRET SERVICE AGENT: SOURCES “Well, I’m not going to say what we do or don’t have in terms of confirmation,” he told CNN. “But let me say this. What he said is what he heard.” Kinzinger added that no one disputes other parts of Hutchinson’s testimony, including that Trump wanted to go to Capitol Hill on Jan. 6 or that he knew many of his supporters were armed. He also said people can expect the commission to release more information in the future. But he did not address whether the committee is currently taking any steps to verify what Hutchinson said about Trump allegedly running into a Secret Service agent or grabbing the wheel of his vehicle. Separately, Kinzinger also highlighted comments from former Trump White House officials that Ornato is allegedly not a real person. “Seems to be a major thread here … Tony Ornato likes to lie,” Kinzinger tweeted. JANUARY 6 HEARING: 5 HIGHLIGHTS OF CASSIDY HUTCHINSON’S EXPLOSIVE TESTIMONY ON TRUMP, CAPITOL ATTACK This video exhibit released by the House Select Committee shows Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, appearing at a hearing by the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol Thursday. June 23, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (House Selection Committee via AP) Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., made comments similar to Kinzinger’s in their own Sunday appearances. “The Commission is not going to watch her character be assassinated by anonymous sources and by men claiming executive privilege. And so we look forward to additional testimony under oath on a number of issues,” Cheney said. ALPHABET. Cheney was pressed by ABC about whether the committee has further evidence to corroborate what Hutchinson said. Cheney said there was evidence of Trump’s “intense anger” when he was told he could not go to Capitol Hill and had to return to the White House. However, he did not elaborate further on the disputed steering wheel grabbing incident. “We’ve always expected Trumpworld to try to discredit her, and they don’t let us down in that regard,” Lofgren said of Hutchinson on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” However, when asked about the steps she is taking to corroborate what she said, Lofgren said the committee had previously spoken with Ornato, said the committee would welcome him back if he wishes to testify further, and said Ornato is ” part of Trump’s world.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., was asked on CBS when the committee — which interviewed Ornato and Engel — first heard the story of Trump trying to grab the steering wheel of his vehicle. Schiff said he would not discuss details of the earlier testimony, said the committee would welcome those men to testify again, and also pointed to other parts of Hutchinson’s testimony that are not disputed. Hutchinson also stands by her testimony, in statements through her lawyers. Fox News’ Lakia Atkins, Andres Del Aguila, David Spunt and Meghan Tome contributed to this report. Tyler Olson covers politics for Fox News Digital. He can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @TylerOlson1791.
