Stefan Passantino, a former White House lawyer for Donald Trump, has filed a complaint against the House January 6 committee, claiming that its members pushed a “false narrative” about his involvement in the Capitol riot. The committee allegedly leaked an “outrageous tale” to the media, claiming that Passantino encouraged star witness Cassidy Hutchinson to lie to the panel. Passantino’s lawyers denied the accusation in the complaint filed on Tuesday, arguing that the committee leaked the testimony without verifying it, causing “reputational, emotional, and economic” damage to Passantino.
Hutchinson, a former White House staffer, testified publicly before the committee in June 2022, claiming that Passantino advised her to mislead the committee about certain events surrounding the attack on the US Capitol. She said Passantino advised her to claim she did not recall the details of an episode in which former President Donald Trump was said to have lashed out at members of his security detail in an SUV on the day of the Capitol attack. Passantino, at the time, defended his work for Hutchinson, saying he represented her “honorably, ethically, and fully consistent with her sole interests as she communicated them to me.”
The law firm Michael Best & Friedrich parted ways with Passantino shortly after Hutchinson’s testimony became public. Lawyers Defending Democracy, a group seeking to remove Passantino’s law license over his work for Hutchinson, filed a complaint with the Washington Bar.
Passantino’s complaint was filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which gives the government six months to respond before he can file a federal lawsuit. His attorney, Jesse Binnall, said the law “provides a means for individuals to seek redress from the government for damages caused by its actions.”
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A spokesperson for Rep. Bennie Thompson, chairman of the January 6 panel, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the complaint. The committee has been investigating the events leading up to the January 6 riot at the US Capitol, which resulted in the deaths of five people and caused extensive damage to the building. The committee has also been looking into the role of Trump and his associates in inciting the violence.
Passantino’s complaint is the latest development in a long-running battle between Trump and his allies and the January 6 committee. Trump has repeatedly denied any responsibility for the riot and has sought to undermine the committee’s investigation, calling it a “witch hunt” and accusing its members of bias against him. Several of his close associates, including former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, have been held in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the committee’s requests for information.