A trio of federal law enforcement agencies have reportedly worked together to strip dozens of Americans of their gun rights through secretive plea agreements and a form not authorized by Congress.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/secret-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Secret Service</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/immigration-and-customs-enforcement-ice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a> stripped at least 60 people of their right to firearms between 2011 and 2019, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/fbi-secret-service-plea-agreement-stripping-defendant-of-gun-rights-secretly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Examiner</a>. In at least one case, the FBI and Secret Service worked with a federal prosecutor to pressure a defendant into signing his gun rights away as a condition for a legal agreement.
“Dear Agent [redacted], You will find enclosed the NICS firearm form which has been signed by my client and his doctor. This is being provided in compliance with [redacted] plea agreement. Yours sincerely,” an attorney’s letter to a Secret Service agent on June 10, 2019, said according to the Examiner.
The letter was obtained by the gun rights group Gun Owners of America through a Freedom of Information Act request. It’s unclear what the defendant was charged with or why the FBI and Secret Service were involved. The case number on the letter was redacted.
The form that effectively strips signatories of their gun rights registers them in the FBI&#8217;s National Instant Criminal Background Check System and labels them as a “danger” to themselves. It also says they lack the “mental capacity adequately to contract” their lives, according to the Examiner.
“There&#8217;s a bit of a contradiction,” attorney Gilbert Ambler, who specializes in firearms law, told the Examiner. “They&#8217;re having you agree you&#8217;re incompetent. If you&#8217;re incompetent, how is that a binding agreement?”
Republicans in the House have said that reports of federal law enforcement pressuring Americans to give up their gun rights warrants investigation. Lawmakers say that such pressure appears to be unconstitutional.
“Americans can&#8217;t simply sign their constitutional rights away, even to the FBI,” Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/fairness-justice/fbi-used-secret-powers-to-strip-more-americans-of-their-gun-rights-documents-reveal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in December. “As Republicans enter a House majority, we must use our investigative power to put a check on federal agencies who have proven to be eager and willing to crack down on Americans&#8217; right to keep and bear arms.”
<a class="c-link" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-12953">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/jim-jordan-subpoenas-connection-fbi-stripping-gun-rights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made</a> similar comments last year.
“We’ve said all along we’re going to do investigations in a way that’s consistent with the Constitution,” said Jordan. “We’re going to do them aggressively. And there is nothing off the table when it comes to getting the facts and the truth for the American people on all these issues that fall under the broad category of politics at the DOJ.”

Rifles

Federal Law Enforcement Pressured Dozens Of Americans To Forfeit Gun Rights: Report

General

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Politics

Second Amendment

Secret Service

Washington D.C.

The January 6 Committee ended its year-and-a-half-long investigation without releasing publicly several pieces of evidence.
Last month, the panel <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/22/politics/jan-6-committee-final-report/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released its final report</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-trump-charges-jan-6-panel-considered-but-did-not-approve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommended charges</a> against former President Donald Trump, and began to <a href="https://january6th.house.gov/media-center/select-committee-witness-materials" target="_blank" rel="noopener">release hundreds of witness materials</a>. But because the panel disbanded at the start of the new session of Congress, it cannot release the information that has been sent to the National Archives, <a href="https://www.politico.com/minutes/congress/01-12-2023/jan6-panel-withholds-some-evidence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Politico</a>.
Undisclosed materials include text messages between key witness Cassidy Hutchinson and other Trump administration officials, as well as the transcript of an interview conducted with Robert Engel, the Secret Service agent who led former President Donald Trump&#8217;s security detail on January 6, 2021.
The full testimony of Engel and Anthony Ornato, a now-former Secret Service and White House aide, remains a significant source of intrigue as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/10/12/new-evidence-show-trump-was-warned-violence-jan-6/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anonymous Secret Service sources told the media</a> they were ready to dispute Hutchinson&#8217;s account of being told by Ornato that Trump lunged at Engel inside the presidential SUV on January 6, 2021, when Trump was informed they were not going to drive to the U.S. Capitol after his speech on the White House Ellipse.
&#8220;No excuse why Bobby Engel’s transcript can’t be released,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/1613916216879648768" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted American Greatness senior writer Julie Kelly</a>. &#8220;The only reason to bury it is because he contradicted what Casidy [sic] Hutchinson said about the physical encounter with Trump. GOP should demand it.&#8221;
The January 6 Committee <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-J6-TRANSCRIPT-CHAIR-VICE-CHAIR-LETTER-TO-DHS/pdf/GPO-J6-TRANSCRIPT-CHAIR-VICE-CHAIR-LETTER-TO-DHS.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a letter</a> to the Homeland Security Department requests by Secret Service lawyers and private attorneys for Secret Service agents to keep certain information and records withheld from public disclosure. Another letter from Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Vice Chairwoman Liz Cheney (R-WY) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/january-6-panel-alerts-white-house-about-anonymous-witnesses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned the White House</a> they could not ensure the confidentiality of certain witnesses once Republicans took over the House.
In one transcript that was released for an interview with Ornato, Ornato <a href="https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/1613932909504729091" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said he could not recall</a> the alleged altercation in the SUV. Politico&#8217;s Kyle Cheney <a href="https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1613918028818784258" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted the panel did not release transcripts</a> of two prior interviews the committee conducted with Ornato after which members questioned his honesty. The January 6 Committee said in its final report that it regarded Hutchinson and corroborating testimony from another White House official &#8220;as earnest and has no reason to conclude that either had a reason to invent their accounts.&#8221;
Other materials that were never released include text messages from Ivanka Trump, the former president&#8217;s daughter and White House adviser, that were referenced in her interview, as well as text messages between a top aide to former Vice President Mike Pence and an aide to Sen. Ron Johnson (W-WI) referenced by the January 6 Committee during one of its public hearings, per Politico.
The January 6 Committee appears to have not released publicly about 30 gigabytes worth of evidence, specifically exhibits to the transcripts that were disclosed with redactions, federal prosecutors wrote in a court filing this week as part of a <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23571551/oathkeepers.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">case against several members of the Oath Keepers</a>.
While working to woo GOP holdouts in his bid to become speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) <a href="https://punchbowl.news/rules-package-highlights/?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=1/2/23%20%20Punchbowl%20News%20AM&amp;utm_term=Punchbowl%20AM%20and%20Active%20Subscribers%20from%20Memberful%20Combined" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreed to a provision</a> in the House rules package for the new session of Congress to demand the <a href="https://rules.house.gov/sites/republicans.rules118.house.gov/files/BILLS-118hresPIH-118th-rules-of-the-house-of-reps-V3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transfer of records</a> from the January 6 Committee to the House Administration Committee by January 17.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said on Wednesday that McCarthy vowed to release 14,000 hours of U.S. Capitol security footage from January 6, when a crowd of people entered the U.S. Capitol, disrupting lawmakers meeting to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. McCarthy told reporters on Thursday the American public &#8220;should see&#8221; what happened on that day. &#8220;We&#8217;re looking through that,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I want to be very thoughtful about it. But yes, I&#8217;m engaged to do that.&#8221;

Cassidy Hutchinson

Evidence The January 6 Committee Never Released

Capitol Riot

Congress

Donald Trump

January 6

January 6 Committee

U.S.

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/secret-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Secret Service</a> found more than 100 records that may be responsive to a lawsuit seeking details about an investigation into a gun-related incident involving <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hunter-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hunter Biden</a>, according to a recent court filing.
The disclosure marks a turn in the long-running Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case brought by Judicial Watch after the Secret Service previously walked back a statement that said it had found potentially responsive documents about communications regarding the discovery of a firearm owned by Biden that was found in a Delaware dumpster several years ago.
Although Judicial Watch is casting the fresh development as evidence of the Secret Service being unable to get its story straight about the records, the joint filing between the conservative watchdog group and Homeland Security Department, which is the parent agency of the Secret Service, states that the two parties held consultations that led to further clarity on the scope of the request.
&#8220;USSS initially responded to Judicial Watch on April 2, 2021, that it had located potentially responsive records and would process them in accordance with FOIA, but this response was sent in error. On October 13, 2022, USSS sent an updated letter to Judicial Watch to inform it that USSS had actually never located any records responsive to Plaintiff’s request after conducting a search and, thus, should have sent a no-records response on April 2, 2021 instead,&#8221; the filing says.
&#8220;Since the Complaint was filed, the Parties have conferred about the intended scope of Judicial Watch’s FOIA request and, in response, USSS has run supplemental searches and located over 100 records, totaling over 400 pages, potentially responsive to Judicial Watch’s request under the clarified understanding of that request,&#8221; the filing adds.
<a href="https://www.judicialwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/JW-v-DOJ-Hunter-Biden-Gun-records-02821.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The joint filing</a>, which was submitted last month in Washington, D.C., federal court, was published by Judicial Watch on Thursday.
Judicial Watch initially filed its FOIA request after the Blaze <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/source-hunter-bidens-gun-was-taken-by-hallie-biden-in-2018-thrown-into-a-supermarket-garbage-can-went-missing-and-no-arrests-were-made" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported a source</a> who claimed Hallie Biden, the widow of then-presidential nominee Joe Biden’s son Beau, took a handgun owned by Hunter and placed it into a trash can outside of a Delaware supermarket in October 2018. Hallie and Hunter, who was her brother-in-law, were dating at the time. At the behest of Hunter, after he had been informed of what she did, Hallie went to retrieve the firearm, but she found it missing, according to a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/25/sources-secret-service-inserted-itself-into-case-of-hunter-bidens-gun-477879?nname=playbook&amp;nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&amp;nrid=0000014e-f10e-dd93-ad7f-f90fd0fe0001&amp;nlid=630318" target="_blank" rel="noopener">police report obtained by Politico</a>. Sources told the news outlet that the gun was returned days later by a man who regularly rummages through the grocery store&#8217;s garbage seeking recyclables.
In text messages between the pair <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/texts-reveal-hunter-biden-meltdown-discarded-gun-incident" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported by the Washington Examiner</a>, Hallie said she was worried Hunter would &#8220;use&#8221; the firearm. Hunter complained how he did not believe he would &#8220;ever recover from all of this,&#8221; noting that Hallie&#8217;s actions made it appear he had &#8220;threatened you and your family with a gun.&#8221; No arrests were made nor charges filed in connection with the incident, but there remains an air of mystery about the role played by the Secret Service, which was not providing protection to now-President Joe Biden at the time.
<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/25/sources-secret-service-inserted-itself-into-case-of-hunter-bidens-gun-477879?nname=playbook&amp;nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&amp;nrid=0000014e-f10e-dd93-ad7f-f90fd0fe0001&amp;nlid=630318" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sources told Politico</a> that Secret Service agents asked the owner of the store where Hunter purchased the gun, seeking paperwork about the sale, but the owner refused under suspicions that they wanted to conceal his ownership of the firearm. The Secret Service <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/texts-reveal-hunter-biden-meltdown-discarded-gun-incident" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the Washington Examiner</a> last year it had &#8220;no involvement in this incident.&#8221; Hunter, who has struggled with drug addiction over the years, said &#8220;no&#8221; when asked if he was &#8220;an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance,&#8221; <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/25/sources-secret-service-inserted-itself-into-case-of-hunter-bidens-gun-477879?nname=playbook&amp;nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&amp;nrid=0000014e-f10e-dd93-ad7f-f90fd0fe0001&amp;nlid=630318" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to paperwork associated</a> with the gun purchase.
The Secret Service will complete its initial processing of records in the FOIA lawsuit by January 9, 2023, at which time the agency will give any responsive, non-exempt records to Judicial Watch, the November joint filing says. The Secret Service will continue to do so on a rolling, monthly basis as consultations with other Executive Branch entities take place, the filing adds.
Upon publishing the filing to the group&#8217;s website, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton <a href="https://www.judicialwatch.org/hunter-biden-gun-records/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released a statement</a> that said, “The Secret Service’s changing story on records raises additional questions about its role in the Hunter Biden gun incident. One thing is clear, Judicial Watch’s persistence means the public may get records that the Secret Service suggested didn’t exist.&#8221;

Hunter Biden

Secret Service Finds Records In Hunter Biden Gun Case After ‘Error’

Secret Service Finds Records In Hunter Biden Gun Case After 'Error'

Crime

Executive

Judicial Watch

President Joe Biden&#8217;s Secret Service rental vehicles were part of a large fire just one day after he left from a Nantucket vacation.
The Monday fire at the Nantucket Memorial Airport in Massachusetts included five vehicles rented from Hertz that were used to transport the president and his family.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A large car fire involving multiple rental vehicles at Nantucket Memorial Airport is now out. There were no injuries reported but at least four cars sustained significant damage. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nantucket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nantucket</a> <a href="https://t.co/VF7Zh7qoot">pic.twitter.com/VF7Zh7qoot</a>
&mdash; Nantucket Current (@ACKCurrent) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACKCurrent/status/1597193896014278656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;A large car fire involving multiple rental vehicles at Nantucket Memorial Airport is now out. There were no injuries reported but at least four cars sustained significant damage,&#8221; the Nantucket Current tweeted in a series of posts alongside videos and pictures of the damage.
&#8220;The fire was just 40 feet away from the airport’s 25,000-gallon jet fuel tanks,&#8221; the outlet added.
The vehicles involved in the fire included a Chevy Suburban, Ford Explorer, Infiniti QX80, Ford Expedition, and Jeep Gladiator. The Expedition was reportedly under a battery recall, though the source of the fire has not yet been determined.
The airport was briefly closed due to the fire but soon reopened.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Active fire at airport. Cause unknown. Airport closed at this time.
&mdash; Nantucket Airport (@AirportACK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AirportACK/status/1597176855593111553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Airport officials shared a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bidens-secret-service-rental-vehicles-burst-flames-left-nantucket-vacation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> about the blaze with the Current.
&#8220;At approximately 5:22 am Airport shift staff observed an active fire in the rental car overflow area through the Airport&#8217;s Closed Circuit Television System,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Staff activated the Alert system and responded to the fire in Airport-3, where they were met by responding units from Nantucket Fire Department and Nantucket Police Department.&#8221;
&#8220;Combined fire resources responded and contained the fire. Several vehicles were damaged. The Airport is currently coordinating with rental car agencies and agency partners to ensure scene safety, There is no longer an active fire at this time: the Airport is open, and aeronautical operations are not affected,&#8221; the statement continued.
The local Inquirer and Mirror newspaper also posted images of the burned vehicles on Monday, noting that the fire occurred in the overflow parking lot.
The investigation is ongoing, and no results have been made public.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Several vehicles heavily damaged in rental-car lot at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nantucket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nantucket</a> Memorial Airport Monday morning:<a href="https://t.co/P3DXg3XCBz">https://t.co/P3DXg3XCBz</a> <a href="https://t.co/0zkzChZLYX">pic.twitter.com/0zkzChZLYX</a>
&mdash; Inquirer and Mirror (@InkyM) <a href="https://twitter.com/InkyM/status/1597200522754547714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The president and first lady Jill Biden stayed at a location along Nantucket Harbor over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, part of a decades-long family tradition. Nantucket is a small island about 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod.
In a strange twist, the Bidens visited the Nantucket Fire Department last week to thank firefighters for their service. The Bidens gave firefighters pumpkin pies from Pie Shop in Washington D.C., <a href="https://www.nantucketcurrent.com/president-biden-visits-nantucket-fire-department-on-thanksgiving" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> the Nantucket Current.

Nantucket Current/ @ACKCurrent

Biden’s Secret Service Rental Vehicles Burn In Flames 1 Day After His Nantucket Departure

Fire

Joe Biden

Massachusetts

Thanksgiving

Vacation

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/washington-post">The Washington Post</a> really seems to have an axe to grind with the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/secret-service">U.S. Secret Service</a>.
The liberal paper has hammered the USSS for years, exposing some newsworthy incidents but also blowing others out of proportion.
Take the one that occurred Monday. &#8220;VP was in car accident; Secret Service first called it ‘mechanical failure,'&#8221; the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/10/05/harris-motorcade-accident-secret-service/">headline</a> blared.
&#8220;A motorcade taking Vice President Harris to work was in a one-car accident on a closed roadway in D.C. on Monday morning, an incident that concerned both the Secret Service director and the vice president and revived worries about the agency’s history of concealing its mistakes, according to two people familiar with the incident,&#8221; wrote Carol D. Leonnig.
Wow. A &#8220;one-car accident.&#8221; That sounds really bad. Let&#8217;s hear more.
&#8220;The Secret Service agent driving Harris in an SUV struck the curb of a downtown tunnel hard enough that the vehicle’s tire needed to be replaced,&#8221; Leonnig said.
So wait, a flat tire? Well, goodness, how badly was the vice president injured?
“The Vice President sustained no injuries and appreciates the quick response by her USSS detail to get her to the White House safely,” Harris spokesman Kirsten Allen said in an emailed statement to the Post.
What does the Secret Service say?
“During a protective movement Monday, a vehicle in a motorcade had a minor overcorrection and struck a curb,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the paper. “The protectee was transferred to a secondary vehicle, and the motorcade continued to its destination. There were no injuries to anyone.”
So why the &#8220;mechanical failure&#8221; reference? &#8220;Initial radio traffic indicated this was a mechanical failure, and that was communicated to agency leadership by personnel supporting the motorcade movement,&#8221; Guglielmi said, noting that Secret Service leaders were later briefed in conversation after Harris was delivered to the White House.
One Secret Service official familiar with the incident took issue with the breathless Post story. &#8220;Well, honestly, I wouldn&#8217;t characterize this as anything close to a &#8216;crash,'&#8221; the official told The Daily Wire. &#8220;And neither would anybody else in law enforcement.&#8221;
&#8220;Tiger Woods crashed. The driver hit a curb? Which probably did lead to some type of mechanical failure. S*** happens,&#8221; the official said.
Some publications hyped the story. The Daily Beast <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/vice-president-kamala-harris-was-in-minor-car-crash-while-in-secret-service-motorcade-report-says">wrote</a> Harris had been in a &#8220;one-vehicle car crash.&#8221; The Washington Examiner went further, posting a <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/kamala-harris-car-accident">headline</a> that read: &#8220;VEEP IMPACT: SUV carrying Harris crashes.&#8221; But <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/06/politics/kamala-harris-car-accident/index.html">CNN</a> struck the right tone, saying in its story: &#8220;&#8230; Harris was involved in a minor car accident&#8230;.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Kamala Harris involved in fender bender" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MOMggT3yXDg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The Secret Service official who spoke to The Daily Wire pointed out another <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/secret-service-agents-investigated-for-late-night-car-accident-at-white-house/2015/03/11/9c853906-c7ff-11e4-a199-6cb5e63819d2_story.html">story</a> written by Leonnig that he said was wrong.
&#8220;The Obama administration is investigating allegations that two senior Secret Service agents, including a top member of the president’s protective detail, drove a government car into White House security barricades after drinking at a late-night party last week, an agency official said,&#8221; she wrote on March 11, 2015.
&#8220;The incident happened about 10:30 p.m. on the White House compound near 15th Street NW and Freedom Plaza, as D.C. police officers and Secret Service officers were trying to clear the scene because of an investigation of a suspicious package, according to the people familiar with the incident,&#8221; the story said.
&#8220;Witnesses reported that the car’s overhead flashing lights had been activated and both agents were showing their badges to get through the section of the grounds that had been closed off, according to people familiar with the incident.&#8221;
Way down in the story, the Post said: &#8220;The vehicle ran through security tape before hitting the barricades, which an agency official said had been set up temporarily during the investigation of the package.&#8221;
But the Secret Service official gave a different version. &#8220;The guy literally moved an orange construction barrel about 2 feet with the nose of his car,&#8221; the agent said.
Hmm. Very different story.
The Secret Service has had some missteps, but the &#8220;one-car accident&#8221; sure isn&#8217;t one of them.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

US-POLITICS-HARRIS

WashPost: VP Harris In ‘Car Accident.’ Reality: Driver Hit A Curb.

WashPost: Vice President Kamala Harris In 'Car Accident.' Reality: Driver Hit A Curb.

Kamala Harris

Questions are swirling in the wake of an accident involving <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-maher-implores-biden-to-get-rid-of-kamala-harris-shes-a-bad-politician-not-bright/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vice President Kamala Harris</a>’s motorcade this week after the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/secret-service-agent-involved-in-trump-jan-6-limo-allegations-leaves-service/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Secret Service</a> delayed disclosing the incident amid mixed signals about the cause.
The single-car accident occurred in a tunnel in the D.C. neighborhood of Foggy Bottom as Harris made her way to the White House Monday at 10:20 a.m. The car she was traveling in hit a curb, disabling a wheel. Harris was unhurt, but had to be transferred to another car.
“During a protective movement Monday, a vehicle in a motorcade had a minor overcorrection and struck a curb,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/10/05/harris-motorcade-accident-secret-service/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Washington Post</a> Wednesday night. “The protectee was transferred to a secondary vehicle, and the motorcade continued to its destination. There were no injuries to anyone.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
According to this tiktok user, VP Kamala Harris&#39; motorcade crashed yesterday morning. I&#39;ve seen no news reports of this strange incident. 🤔 <a href="https://t.co/Vd49UvryhT">pic.twitter.com/Vd49UvryhT</a>
&mdash; Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) <a href="https://twitter.com/YWNReporter/status/1577098102179123200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The incident was initially described as a “mechanical failure” to senior Secret Service officials, which would seem to be contradicted by Guglielmi’s statement. And there was no explanation for the two-day delay in disclosing the accident.
Guglielmi said the agents involved in the fender bender reported it as “mechanical failure” in their initial written communication of the incident.
“Initial radio traffic indicated this was a mechanical failure, and that was communicated to agency leadership by personnel supporting the motorcade movement,” Guglielmi told the Post. “After the protective movement was completed, leadership was verbally updated with additional pertinent facts that the vehicle struck a curb.”
Secret Service sources and Harris herself questioned how highly trained agents could have an accident on such a routine trip, according to the Post. But perhaps even more disturbing was the fact that key details were omitted in an electronic message notifying senior leadership of the incident.
<div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body">
Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle only learned late Monday afternoon what had really happened, a source told the Post.
</div>
<div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body">
A spokeswoman for Harris said the vice president is grateful for the Secret Service&#8217;s efforts to protect her.
</div>
<a href="https://www.gwhatchet.com/2022/10/05/vice-president-harris-vehicle-crashes-near-shenkman-hall/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The GW Hatchet reported</a> that the accident occurred in the 2300 Block of Virginia Avenue, where more than 10 drivers have reportedly <a href="https://www.gwhatchet.com/2022/04/25/traffic-median-on-virginia-avenue-creates-foggy-bottom-car-crash-hot-spot/">crashed</a> this year into a berm that separates a car lane from a new bike lane. Residents have painted the median and strategically placed cones, but there are no signs warning drivers of the curb, the site reported.
A TikTok video that purportedly showed the crash aftermath and was posted on Twitter showed several black SUVs stopped at the entrance of a tunnel while sirens blare in the background.

Screen Shot 2022-10-06 at 8.17.40 AM

Questions Swirl After Kamala Harris Motorcade Accident In D.C. Tunnel

Car Crash

White House

Gay cable TV provocateur <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/andy-cohen-tells-florida-youre-not-going-to-erase-us-with-homophobic-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andy Cohen</a> stunned <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hillary-clinton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hillary Clinton</a> Thursday, revealing to the former first lady that he had a fling with one of her Secret Service agents while she lived in the White House.
Cohen told the shocking secret as he interviewed Clinton, who later served as a U.S. senator and secretary of state, and daughter Chelsea on his “Watch What Happens Live” show on Bravo. The Clintons were there to promote their new show “Gutsy,” where they go around the country interviewing liberal female celebrities who they consider to be trailblazers of one sort or another.
“I do have to tell you, every time I see you, Secretary Clinton, I think I had a wonderful liaison with one of your Secret Service agents in the 90&#8217;s,” Cohen claimed. “While you were First Lady.”
A shocked Clinton’s eyes widened and she giggled.
“TMI,” Clinton said, using the slang term for “too much information.” “TMI.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This was fun…. <a href="https://t.co/L8kTsZjkYR">https://t.co/L8kTsZjkYR</a>
&mdash; Andy Cohen (@Andy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Andy/status/1568282565680963587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Clinton, now 74, lived in the White House with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, from 1993-2001. While the former president’s sordid sexual escapades during the period are well known, the claim that a Secret Service agent and a future famous TV host had a tryst stunned the pair. Cohen was likely an unknown producer at CBS at the time.
“You did?” gasped Chelsea Clinton, who would have been a teenager at the time.
Cohen said the unnamed Secret Service agent always “had wonderful things to say about the entire family,” but shared no specifics.
“And I have wonderful things to say about him,” Cohen quipped about his alleged White House conquest.
While it is possible Cohen’s story is true, the claim that the Secret Service agent praised her runs counter to her reputation. Ronald Kessler, a former Wall Street Journal and Washington Post reporter and author of the 2015 book “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/First-Family-Detail-Service-Presidents/dp/080413961X/ref=sr_1_1?tag=nypost-20&amp;asc_refurl=https://nypost.com/2015/10/02/secret-service-agents-hillary-is-a-nightmare-to-work-with/&amp;asc_source=web">First Family Detail</a>,” said Secret Service agents he interviewed liked Bill and Chelsea, but couldn’t stand Hillary Clinton.
“Agents consider being assigned to her detail a form of punishment,” Kessler wrote. “In fact, agents say being on Hillary Clinton’s detail is the worst duty assignment in the Secret Service.”
Lloyd Bulman, one of several former Secret Service agents Kessler quoted in his book, said Hillary Clinton&#8217;s contempt for the help was legendary.
“Hillary was very rude to agents, and she didn’t appear to like law enforcement or the military,” Bulman said. “She wouldn’t go over and meet military people or police officers, as most protectees do. She was just really rude to almost everybody. She’d act like she didn’t want you around, like you were beneath her.”

Screen Shot 2022-09-09 at 3.35.12 PM

‘TMI!’: Gay TV Host Stuns Hillary With Secret Service Sex Claim

'TMI!': Gay TV Host Stuns Hillary With Secret Service Sex Claim

Andy Cohen

Chelsea Clinton

Hillary Clinton

Anthony Ornato, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/secret-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Secret Service</a> official at the center of a hotly debated rumor about former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump&#8217;s</a> actions on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/capitol-riot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 6, 2021,</a> has retired.
Secret Service Special Agent Kevin Helgert confirmed to The Daily Wire on Tuesday that Ornato retired from the U.S. Secret Service on Monday “in good standing after 25 years of devoted service.”
“I did retire today to pursue a career in the private sector,” Ornato confirmed to multiple outlets. “I retired from the U.S. Secret Service after more than 25 years of faithful service to my country, including serving the past five presidents. I long-planned to retire and have been planning this transition for more than a year.”
Ornato <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/29/politics/tony-ornato-leaving-us-secret-service/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">would not tell CNN</a> who his new employer was but said he would not be working for Trump or any of Trump&#8217;s agencies.
“I plan to continue cooperating with the DHS OIG&#8217;s investigation,&#8221; Ornato told the publication. “My counsel have been in touch with the OIG, and they discussed but have not yet settled on a mutually convenient date for us to speak.”
Cassidy Hutchinson, who served as a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/white-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House</a> aide during the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/trump-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump administration</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/testimony-of-cassidy-hutchinson-appears-to-fall-apart-as-new-reports-surface-about-secret-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testified</a> before the January 6 committee earlier this summer that Ornato had told her that an angry Trump &#8220;lunged&#8221; toward the head of his detail when agents refused to drive him to the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
<div id="attachment_403058" style="width: 663px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-403058" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-403058 " src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1241609781-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="653" height="435" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-1241609781-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-1241609781-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-1241609781-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-1241609781-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-1241609781-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-1241609781-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-1241609781-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 653px) 100vw, 653px" />UNITED STATES &#8211; JUNE 28: Cassidy Hutchinson, an aide to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, testifies on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)</div>
She also claimed that Trump tried to grab the steering wheel of the limousine and that the lead of the security detail, Bobby Engel, told him, “Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel.” At that point, Hutchinson claimed she was told that Trump allegedly lunged at the agent and assaulted him.
CNN reported in late June that a Secret Service official said Ornato disputes Hutchinson’s story — and that both Ornato and Engel are willing to deny the story. ABC also <a href="https://twitter.com/Santucci/status/1541918674642259968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1541918674642259968%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Ftestimony-of-cassidy-hutchinson-appears-to-fall-apart-as-new-reports-surface-about-secret-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Secret Service is prepared to deny the story. The federal agency insists that it will share its “first hand account with the Committee, on the record.”
“It’s not appropriate for us to make these comments in the media before we have a chance to address members of Congress,” Anthony Guglielmi, the Secret Service chief of communications, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/secret-service-january-6-committee-didnt-verify-explosive-claim-that-trump-assaulted-an-agent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Daily Wire</a> in late June.

Screen Shot 2022-08-30 at 6.20.03 PM

Secret Service Agent Involved In Trump Jan. 6 Limo Allegations Leaves Service

The inspector general of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-homeland-security">Department of Homeland Security</a> (DHS) has reportedly launched a criminal investigation into missing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/secret-service">Secret Service</a> text messages sent on the day prior to and the day of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/january-6">January 6 riot</a> at the U.S. Capitol.
A letter from the DHS Inspector General sent Wednesday evening told the Secret Service that it should cease any internal investigations into the missing messages, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/dhs-launched-criminal-probe-destruction-jan-6-secret-service-text-mess-rcna39392">NBC News</a>.
“To ensure the integrity of our investigation, the USSS must not engage in any further investigative activities regarding the collection and preservation of the evidence referenced above,” Deputy Inspector General Gladys Ayala wrote in a Wednesday evening letter. “This includes immediately refraining from interviewing potential witnesses, collecting devices or taking any other action that would interfere with an ongoing criminal investigation.”
The Secret Service said in a statement that it is “in receipt of the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General’s letter. We have informed the January 6th Select Committee of the Inspector General’s request and will conduct a thorough legal review to ensure we are fully cooperative with all oversight efforts and that they do not conflict with each other,” according to NBC News.
Inspector General Joseph Cuffari <a href="https://theintercept.com/2022/07/14/jan-6-texts-deleted-secret-service/">informed</a> the House January 6 committee earlier this month that messages the government investigator had sought from the Secret Service had been deleted. The inspector general’s office said the deletions took place after the watchdog had filed a request for them.
“The USSS erased those text messages after OIG requested records of electronic communications from the USSS, as part of our evaluation of events at the Capitol on January 6,” Cuffari told the committee in a letter, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/secret-service-deleted-text-messages-jan-6-previous-day-homeland-secur-rcna38332">NBC News</a>.
The Secret Service reportedly told the inspector general that the loss of messages on January 5 and 6 of 2021 took place “as part of a device-replacement program.”
“The insinuation that the Secret Service maliciously deleted text messages following a request is false,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said, according to NBC News. “In fact, the Secret Service has been fully cooperating with the OIG in every respect — whether it be interviews, documents, emails, or texts.”
The committee, run by almost entirely by Democrats, has sought the text messages because of the potential information they may contain about former President Donald Trump’s behavior before and during the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Secret Service officials were <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/secret-service-was-told-least-jan-6-2021-preserve-texts-rcna39129">notified</a> at least three times to preserve records on their cellphones. The first emailed notice came on Dec. 9, 2020, the next sometime in January 2021, and the third notice on February 4, 2021. The first two emails did not make any specific reference to the Capitol riot.
In December, the agency’s chief information and chief operating officers <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/07/20/secret-service-national-archives/">decided</a> to switch agents’ devices to a new software-management platform. Agents were given instructions on how to preserve information and given authority over which messages would be preserved while everything else would be wiped. The process began on January 27, 2021, and finished several months later on April 1.
The deleted texts have raised questions from legal experts that the Secret Service may have violated the Federal Records Act, which mandates federal communications be preserved.

Federal Watchdog Launches Criminal Probe Into Missing Secret Service Texts From January 6

Department of Homeland Security

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/secret-service">Secret Service</a> agent who had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-biden-looks-lost-during-trip-to-israel-makes-holocaust-gaffe">traveled to Israel</a> ahead of President Joe Biden’s arrival in the country Wednesday was briefly detained and sent back to the U.S. following an alleged “physical encounter” with a woman.
Israeli police detained and questioned the agent before they released him without any charges, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/13/world/middleeast/israel-us-secret-service-employee.html">according</a> to the Secret Service. The agent was then sent back to the U.S., and his access to Secret Service information was suspended.
“In accordance with agency protocol, his access to Secret Service systems and facilities was suspended pending further investigation,” a Secret Service spokesperson said, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/secret-service-employee-sent-home-israel-physical-encounter-rcna38083">according</a> to NBC News.
The alleged altercation occurred Monday night when multiple Secret Service personnel were returning to their hotel from dinner. A woman who got into an altercation with one of the employees claims she was physically assaulted, according to a person with knowledge of the incident, as NBC News reported.
Three sources <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/secret-service-agent-israel-physical-encounter/">told</a> CBS News that a woman at a Jerusalem bar interacted with the Secret Service agent before the two got into an argument, and the agent shoved the woman. Even though the woman was reportedly not injured, she called Israeli police and reported the Secret Service employee.
“We hold all employees to the highest professional standards and you are seeing the results of our strong culture of accountability,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.
Officials did not provide any more information on the incident other than assuring there was no sexual assault allegation.
In May, two Secret Service agents were sent home from South Korea just before Biden’s arrival after a booze-fueled incident that involved local police, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-from-secret-service-sent-home-after-incident-in-south-korea-just-as-biden-arrives">reported</a>.
The employees, described by ABC News as an agent and an armed physical security specialist, went bar-hopping after dinner and the agent wound up in a confrontation with a taxi driver.
The agent involved in the argument with the taxi driver was slated to be interviewed by local police before returning to the U.S.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/gregory-wilson">Greg Wilson</a> contributed to this report.

Secret Service Agent On Biden’s Israel Trip Detained, Sent Home After Alleged ‘Physical Encounter’ With Woman

Secret Service Agent Detained, Sent Home After Alleged Altercation With Woman In Israel

Israel

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/january-6-committee">January 6 committee</a> did not reach out to the United States <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/secret-service">Secret Service</a> (USSS) before airing claims that former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> got into a physical altercation with his security on the day of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/capitol-riot">Capitol Riot</a>, the service said Wednesday.
Cassidy Hutchinson, who served as a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/white-house">White House</a> aide during the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/trump-administration">Trump administration</a>, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/29/jan-6-hutchinson-secret-service-00043164">said</a> that senior Secret Service official Anthony Ornato had told her that an angry Trump attacked the head of his detail when agents refused to drive him to the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
She also claimed that Trump tried to grab the steering wheel of the limousine, and that the lead of the security detail, Bobby Engel, told him, “Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel.&#8221; At that point, Hutchinson claimed she was told, Trump allegedly lunged at the agent and assaulted him.
The Secret Service was not contacted by the committee about Hutchinson&#8217;s claims before the committee aired them as a blockbuster special, Anthony Guglielmi, United States Secret Service Chief of Communications, confirmed to The Daily Wire on Wednesday.
And Hutchinson&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/testimony-of-cassidy-hutchinson-appears-to-fall-apart-as-new-reports-surface-about-secret-service">claims appear to have</a> quickly fallen apart.
CNN reported Tuesday that a USSS official said Ornato disputes Hutchinson&#8217;s story — and that both Ornato and Trump&#8217;s security chief Robert Engel are willing to deny the story. ABC also <a href="https://twitter.com/Santucci/status/1541918674642259968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1541918674642259968%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Ftestimony-of-cassidy-hutchinson-appears-to-fall-apart-as-new-reports-surface-about-secret-service">reported</a> that the Secret Service is prepared to deny the story.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
UPDATE: A Secret Service official familiar with the matter told CNN that Tony Ornato denies telling Cassidy Hutchinson that the former president grabbed the steering wheel or an agent on his detail.
&mdash; Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShimonPro/status/1541938642918178819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-xoduu5">
But Guglielmi declined to confirm or deny Hutchinson&#8217;s claims to The Daily Wire.
&#8220;We will share our first hand account with the Committee, on the record,&#8221; he said in an email. &#8220;It’s not appropriate for us to make these comments in the media before we have a chance to address members of Congress.&#8221;
Trump himself referred to Hutchinson as a &#8220;phony social climber&#8221; in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.
&#8220;The lies and fabricated stories being told to the partisan Highly Unselect Committee, not only by the phony social climber who got caught yesterday, but by many others, are a disgrace to our, in serious decline, Nation,&#8221; the former president said.
&#8220;No cross examination, no real Republicans, no lawyers, NO NOTHING,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Fake stories and an all Fake Narrative being produced, with ZERO pushback allowed. Unselects should be forced to disband. WITCH HUNT!&#8221;
<section class="page-content__row page-content__row--story main-section" data-content-section="2">
<div class="container container--story story-layout--fixed-fluid">
<div class="container__column container__column--story">
<div class="container__row container__row--story story-layout--fluid-fixed">
<div class="container__column container__column--story center-horizontally">
<div class="story-text">
A spokeswoman for Trump directed The Daily Wire to his social media points when asked for comment.
<div id="attachment_403058" style="width: 624px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-403058" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-403058 " src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-1241609781-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="409" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-1241609781-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-1241609781-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-1241609781-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-1241609781-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-1241609781-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-1241609781-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-1241609781-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px" />UNITED STATES &#8211; JUNE 28: Cassidy Hutchinson, an aide to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, testifies during the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol hearing to present previously unseen material and hear witness testimony in Cannon Building, on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)</div>
January 6 committee member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) admitted that Hutchinson&#8217;s testimony was only hearsay during a Tuesday CNN interview.
“She did not see it happen,” CNN&#8217;s Jake Tapper <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/january-6-committee-member-admits-star-witness-evidence-is-hearsay-no-corroborating-evidence">said to Raskin</a>. “Do you have any corroborating evidence? You have interviewed both Ornato, or the committee has interviewed both Engle and Ornato, two Secret Service agents. Do you have any corroborating evidence that that story is true or do you only have it from Cassidy Hutchinson?”
“Well, um, the story that she told is the evidence that I’m aware of, at least within her story, and I’ve not seen anything to contradict it,” Raskin responded. “And then, of course, it’s corroborated by everything else we know about Donald Trump’s eagerness to not just incite this march and assemble the march and form the march and exhort the people in the march, but also to participate in it, he wanted to go into it.”
January 6 Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) did not immediately respond to requests for comment for this story.
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</section>
</div>

Screen Shot 2022-06-29 at 4.46.22 PM

Secret Service: January 6 Committee Didn’t Verify Explosive Claim That Trump Assaulted An Agent

J6 Committee Didn't Verify Explosive Claim That Trump Assaulted An Agent, Secret Service Says

Trump Administration

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/january-6-committee">January 6 Committee</a> unveiled its surprise star witness on Tuesday — Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to then-<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/white-house">White House</a> Chief of Staff Mark Meadows — yet committee member Rep. Jaime Raskin (D-MD) admitted that her testimony was only hearsay.
Hutchinson testified before the committee that Secret Service agent Anthony Ornato told her that on January 6, 2021, then-President Donald Trump attempted to grab the steering wheel of the presidential limo &#8220;The Beast&#8221; and commandeer the vehicle to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/capitol-hill">U.S. Capitol</a> to join protesters upset about the 2020 presidential election results. She added that the president was rebuffed by the head of Trump&#8217;s Secret Service detail, Robert Engel, who grabbed the president&#8217;s wrist. She then claimed that Ornato told her that Trump reached for Engel&#8217;s clavicle with his free hand.
While told vividly, the story seemed to lack any hard evidence and was only a second-hand account. CNN&#8217;s Jake Tapper pressed Raskin on that point Tuesday evening and asked for any subsequent corroboration from previous testimony.
&#8220;She did not see it happen,&#8221; Tapper said to Raskin Tuesday evening. &#8220;Do you have any corroborating evidence? You have interviewed both Ornato, or the committee has interviewed both Engle and Ornato, two Secret Service agents. Do you have any corroborating evidence that that story is true or do you only have it from Cassidy Hutchinson?&#8221;
Raskin could not provide any solid proof besides implying that it sounded true.
&#8220;Well, um, the story that she told is the evidence that I&#8217;m aware of, at least within her story, and I&#8217;ve not seen anything to contradict it,&#8221; Raskin answered. &#8220;And then, of course, it&#8217;s corroborated by everything else we know about Donald Trump&#8217;s eagerness to not just incite this march and assemble the march and form the march and exhort the people in the march but also to participate in it, he wanted to go into it.&#8221;
Raskin then recounted how Hutchinson testified that White House counsel told her not to let Trump enter the rally at the Capitol for various legal and safety reasons.
Tapper pressed forward, asking again if Raskin had any evidence.
&#8220;What I&#8217;m saying is, your committee interviewed Tony Ornato and [Robert] Engel, who supposedly told her this story, and I don&#8217;t doubt her. I&#8217;m sure Ornato told her the story but your committee interviewed them. Did you ask about this story?&#8221; Tapper asked. &#8220;It is a shocking story.&#8221;
&#8220;I was not involved in either of those interviews. So I can&#8217;t say and I don&#8217;t have any knowledge of that. I will just say I&#8217;m not aware of anything that contradicts the account,&#8221; Raskin responded.
Raskin added that he would encourage any other material witness to come forward with information that could prove or disprove Hutchinson&#8217;s testimony.
Tapper again lamented the fact that there was no actual evidence of her claims.
&#8220;It is just an incredibly damning and dramatic story. I would just, as a journalist and as an American, appreciate more corroboration for the story, since as of now, it is hearsay,&#8221; Tapper said before Raskin interjected, &#8220;Oh, sure.&#8221;
&#8220;And of course, we&#8217;re not in a court of law and we&#8217;re not charging anybody with any particular offense,&#8221; Raskin continued. &#8220;Our job under House Resolution 503 is to assemble the most meticulous and comprehensive account of the details of that day that we can as well as the causes of these events, as well as making recommendations as to how to fortify democratic institutions against coups, and insurrections and political violence or attacks on our election. So that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re working on.&#8221;
Raskin added that Hutchinson&#8217;s account is just &#8220;one detail out of many details&#8221; while claiming that he was &#8220;not aware of a single fact that the committee has put forward that has been contradicted or debunked by anybody, but that&#8217;s not to say it couldn&#8217;t happen.&#8221;
The interview can be seen here:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CNN’s <a href="https://twitter.com/jaketapper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaketapper</a> asks <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRaskin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepRaskin</a> about corroborating the shocking story, told by ex-aide of Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, about Trump’s physical attack on Secret Service detail to drive to the US Capitol on January 6. <a href="https://t.co/z2ul9WvFcc">pic.twitter.com/z2ul9WvFcc</a>
&mdash; CNN (@CNN) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1541894982780469248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

January 6 Committee Member Admits Star Witness’ Evidence Is Hearsay, No Corroborating Evidence

January 6 Committee Member Jamie Raskin Admits Cassidy Hutchinson's Evidence Is Hearsay And Lacking Corroborating Evidence

Jake Tapper

Jamie Raskin

Mark Meadows

Menu