The Democrat-led House Jan. 6 Committee was widely denounced by many on the right for concocting a misleading narrative that sought to blame former President Donald Trump for a protest on Capitol Hill that leftists frequently described as an “insurrection.”
Virtually no one in Washington, Republican or Democrat, wanted to see this tape released tonight. pic.twitter.com/YfpvaIZTbn
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) March 7, 2023
According to a lawsuit filed by former Trump attorney Stefan Passantino, the former president was not the only one whose reputation was targeted by members of the congressional panel.
The lawyer also represented former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who later alleged that he instructed her to lie about the events leading up to the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
Months after the protest, the committee issued Hutchinson a subpoena and she reached out to Trump’s Save America PAC for legal assistance. She retained Passantino’s counsel until seeking a new lawyer last June.
Hutchinson’s claim that Passantino instructed her to lie was ultimately leaked by members of the committee, resulting in irreparable damage to “his reputation and career,” the lawsuit alleges. As a result, he is seeking $67 million in damages.
Court documents accuse the committee of taking action against the attorney “in support of a pre-ordained political and legal narrative” against Trump.
“The Committee told an outrageous tale to media sources, such as CNN and possibly others, about Mr. Passantino’s non-existent efforts to obstruct their investigation by impacting the testimony of their ‘star’ witness, Cassidy Hutchinson,” the lawsuit continues.
Not only did he deny instructing Hutchinson to mislead members of the committee, but he denounced the “unjustifiable, outrageous, and malicious” leak of her claim that he did.
The move allegedly led to “immediate and severe reputational, emotional, and economic damages” including his removal from a law firm and complaints against him registered with the bar association.
Passantino has consistently denied any wrongdoing since the claims were initially leaked in December.
“As with all my clients during my 30 years of practice, I represented Ms. Hutchinson honorably, ethically, and fully consistent with her sole interests as she communicated them to me,” he said at the time. “I believed Ms. Hutchinson was being truthful and cooperative with the Committee throughout the several interview sessions in which I represented her.”
