Sep 2, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Pat Cipollone appears before federal grand jury investigating Jan. 6

Pat Cipollone, former President Trumps White House counsel, exits a conference room during a break in his interview at the Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. House Office Building July 8, 2022

Pat Cipollone at the Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. House Office Building on July 8. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone appeared Friday to testify before a federal grand jury investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and efforts to overturn 2020 election results, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: Cipollone, with his deputy Pat Philbin, who is also expected to appear before the grand jury, are among the two highest-profile witnesses to testify in the Department of Justice's criminal investigation into the riot, Reuters notes.

The big picture: Both Cipollone and Philbin have been subpoenaed by the grand jury investigating the riot.

  • Cipollone, a crucial witness into President Trump's final days in office, previously spoke to the House Jan. 6 select committee in a closed-door interview.
  • Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified that Cipollone had warned in the days before the attack that Trump and his aides could be charged with "every crime imaginable" if he joined protesters at the Capitol.

State of play: Marc Short, a former top aide to former Vice President Mike Pence, testified before the grand jury last month.

Go deeper... Jan. 6 committee: Trump galvanized extremist groups to flood Capitol

Go deeper