Trump White House Counsel Pat Cipollone has reached a deal with the January 6 committee to participate in a transcribed interview behind closed doors on Friday, multiple sources told CNN.
Cipollone will be appearing under subpoena. A source familiar with his thinking says Cipollone intended to comply with the subpoena issued on June 29 for a July 6 interview, and it was extended until July 8. The interview will be on video, two of the sources told CNN.
Cipollone, who many former administration officials credit with helping to prevent then-President Donald Trump from taking legally questionable actions in the months around the 2020 presidential election, has long been considered a key witness by the committee. He has resisted talking further with the committee after previously sitting for a closed-door interview on April 13.
The New York Times first reported that Cipollone would testify behind close doors Friday.
A spokesperson for the committee declined to comment.
CNN has previously reported ahead of the interview being set that the topics would limited to specific topics to avoid privilege issues, a lawyer familiar with Cipollone’s thinking has told CNN.
The committee said in its subpoena letter that it has obtained evidence that Cipollone is “uniquely positioned to testify,” but he had “declined to cooperate” past that interview, leaving the panel with “no choice” but to issue the subpoena. During recent public hearings, members of the panel publicly pressured Cipollone to testify.
Mississippi Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, the panel’s chairman, and Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, the panel’s vice chairwoman, said in a statement after issuing the subpoena that “the Select Committee’s investigation has revealed evidence that Mr. Cipollone repeatedly raised legal and other concerns about President Trump’s activities on January 6 and in the days that preceded.”
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat who’s also a member of the committee, previously told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on “AC360” that the panel was willing to work through privilege issues with Cipollone to facilitate his testimony.
Lofgren said there are “quite a few things that he could tell the committee that would not be subject to privilege.”
This story has been updated with additional developments Wednesday.
Source: www.cnn.com