GOP Panel Calls for Criminal Probe of Liz Cheney Over Jan. 6 Role

    Above: Liz Cheney speaks at Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal Oak, Mich., on Oct. 21, 2024.  Image copyright: Nic Antaya/Contributor/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    The Facts

    • US Republicans from the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight released a 128-page report calling for a criminal probe into former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney and her role on the Jan. 6 select committee.

    • The report, led by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), accuses Cheney of witness tampering by communicating with former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who testified that Trump lunged for the steering wheel of his Secret Service vehicle on Jan. 6 to join supporters at the Capitol.


    The Spin

    Republican narrative

    Liz Cheney's actions, especially her secret coaching of Hutchinson without her lawyer's knowledge, are a clear breach of investigative ethics and are potentially illegal. Such covert and partisan behavior undermines the integrity of congressional inquiries, turning them into political vendettas rather than pursuits of truth. Politics aside, her use of encrypted communication to influence sworn testimony suggests possible witness tampering — a blatant criminal action.

    Democratic narrative

    Republicans are seeking political revenge, not justice. This report, coupled with Trump's social media threat early this morning, suggests a coordinated partisan motive rather than genuine legal concern. Cheney's Jan. 6 Committee work was thorough, involving numerous GOP witnesses and leading to a detailed 800-page report. Accusations against her are baseless and politically motivated, aimed at discrediting her for opposing Trump, not for actual wrongdoing.


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