CNN first reported that the two attorneys received subpoenas from a federal grand jury about four weeks ago for testimony and documents about events that day and before. ABC News reported on their expected court appearance Friday after a July grand jury appearance by Vice President Mike Pence’s former chief of staff Mark Short and attorney Greg Jacobs.
It’s unclear what Cipollone or Philbin will discuss with the grand jury and whether their testimony will eschew the private presidential communications that are typically subject to executive and attorney-client privilege.
Cipollone and his attorney, Michael M. Purpura, walked into federal court in Washington shortly after 9:30 a.m., where they were greeted by U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom and escorted to an elevator leading to the grand jury area. Cipollone left the building alone shortly after the grand jury’s noon break.
Purpura also represented Philbin, who was in court before 12:30pm
Cipollone, the top White House counsel at the end of the Trump administration, has appeared in several public accounts as the then-president with personal lawyers and others in his inner circle allegedly seeking to replace Joe Biden with Trump’s allies to win Verified voters in some states; pressured the Justice Department to falsely claim elections were rigged by fraudulent ballots; or proposed that the U.S. Attorney General, Secretary of Defense or other federal officials confiscate voting machines.
In videotaped testimony played at this summer’s televised hearing of the House select committee investigating the violations that led to the Capitol, Cipollone told investigators that he strongly resisted efforts by Trump and outside advisers to undo the election, and that he and Trump’s former Attorney Generals like William P. Barr argued that there was not enough fraud to affect Biden’s victory in any state.
December 12, at a late-night meeting at the White House. For example, on January 18, 2020, Cipollone called it “insanity” when he said election lawyer Sidney Powell and former national security adviser Michael Flynn displayed a “general disregard for backing up what you’re actually saying with facts.” .
Regarding conspiracy theories about taking over voting machines, Cipollone recalled telling Powell, “I don’t understand why we even have to tell you why it’s a bad idea, it’s a bad idea for the country.”
Cipollone was also described as objecting to sending a letter drafted by attorney Jeffrey Bossert Clark to Georgia officials, falsely claiming that the Justice Department had “identified significant issues that could affect the outcome of elections in multiple states.”
Cipollone told Trump that Clark’s proposed letter was “a murder-suicide pact” that would “harm everyone who comes into contact with it,” according to testimony from then-Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue. On a conference call in December. On February 27, 2020, witnesses said Trump told acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen that he wanted the department to say there was serious electoral fraud and said he was ready to oust Rosen with a willingness to do so. An asserted Clark replaces him.
“Just say the election was corrupt and leave the rest to me and Republican congressmen,” Trump told Rosen, according to a transcript of the conversation reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Attendees said Trump backed down after Rosen, Donoghue and Cipollone refused and said they and other top government lawyers would resign en masse.
Earlier this year, Cipollone answered eight hours of questions before the House of Representatives in January. 6 Committee, after the fascinating testimony of Cassidy Hutchinson, a top aide to former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, who described her boss as preventing One of the last firewalls for Trump to subvert the election result.
She testified on the morning of January 1. 6. Cipollone warns her with what she interprets as “Please make sure we don’t go to the Capitol, Cassidy.” keep in touch with me. If we let this movement happen, we will be charged with every crime imaginable. “