Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony before the cameras during a hearing for the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th domestic terrorist attack on Congress might never have happened if she hadn’t done one thing. She fired her lawyer about two weeks ago.
As the New York Times points out, Hutchinson’s previous counsel, Stefan Passantino, was being funded by Donald Trump-connected groups, either cash from his PAC or remaining campaign funds. After Hutchinson fired that counsel, her new lawyer contacted Committee investigators to arrange a fourth interview, during which she disclosed sordid details about the actions of Donald Trump and her boss, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
Having a third party pay for one’s legal counsel is not illegal in or out of politics, but in a case as fraught with conflicts of interest as the Trump cabal is, the question of whether the lawyers Trump is paying are representing the client’s best interests, or Trump’s, is relevant.
Trump isn’t using the money just to pay for legal fees for his lackeys; as has been reported, the money is also being used to line the pockets of the Trump family and even Mark Meadows. One million dollars in donations was given to a foundation set up by Meadows.
The other question relating to the Trump-paid lawyers is if they were reporting back to Trump or Trump allies about the likelihood that the clients would be cooperating, particularly given the Committee has shown veiled threats that Trump “was watching” and was hoping the witness would “do the right thing.”