Jan. 6 panel grills ex-Secret Service agent for 3rd time
Ornato got chance to ‘clear record,’ says chairman of riot committee
“We had interviewed Mr. Ornato several times. His memory does not appear to be as precise as hers.”
— Rep. Zoe Lofgren, in response to questions about the veracity of Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony
WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol interviewed Tuesday former Secret Service agent Tony Ornato about former President Donald Trump’s actions on the day of the riot, according to a person familiar with the matter.
This will be the third time the committee has interviewed Ornato, who also served as Trump’s deputy chief of staff for operations. Lawmakers sought his testimony to try to corroborate what other witnesses have said about Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021, according to the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about closeddoor depositions.
“This was an opportunity for him to clear the record,” Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the committee’s chairman, told reporters Tuesday night.
Thompson and other committee members had previously said Ornato and other Secret Service personnel have not been “forthcoming with respect to what actually happened” that day. It is unclear if Ornato’s hourslong testimony Tuesday shed any additional light on the disputed altercation.
Former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified publicly over the summer about a conversation she had with Ornato Jan. 6, 2021, at the White House. She said Ornato recalled to her how Trump had lashed out and grabbed at the steering wheel of the presidential SUV when the
Secret Service refused to let him go to the Capitol after a rally at the Ellipse.
The account from Hutchinson about a physical altercation was quickly disputed by Secret Service officials. The officials do not dispute, however, that Trump angrily demanded to be taken to the Capitol to join a mob of his supporters who were marching there and ultimately breached the Capitol.
“We had interviewed Mr. Ornato several times,” Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., a member of the panel, said in response to questions about the veracity of Hutchinson’s testimony. “His memory does not appear to be as precise as hers.”
The committee is hoping Ornato’s latest round of testimony can help clear up the conflicting reports about Trump’s furious attempts to stay in power on the day of the riot. Lawmakers are also seeking Ornato’s testimony as they dig deeper into what the Secret Service knew about the attack on the Capitol, including missing text messages between agents sent around that time.