Eric Herschmann, a former Trump White House lawyer, threw a massive right hook at the testimony of Cassidy Hutchinson against former President Donald Trump as he stated that he was the one who wrote the handwritten note that Hutchinson swore to the January 6 House select committee that she authored.
The small note that Hutchinson claims that she wrote said, “Anyone who entered the Capitol without proper authority should leave immediately.”
“Herschmann is claiming that a handwritten note regarding a potential statement for then-President Donald Trump to release during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol was written by him during a meeting at the White House that afternoon, and not by White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson,” read a report from ABC News. “At Tuesday’s Jan. 6 committee hearing, Rep. Liz Cheney displayed a handwritten note which Hutchinson testified she wrote after Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows handed her a note card and pen to take his dictation.”
One particular source that is known to be familiar with the issue has confirmed that Herschmann is, in fact, claiming that he authored the note and not Hutchinson.
“The handwritten note that Cassidy Hutchinson testified was written by her was in fact written by Eric Herschmann on January 6, 2021,” stated one spokesperson for Eric Herschmann to ABC News. “All sources with direct knowledge and law enforcement have and will confirm that it was written by Mr. Herschmann.”
Herschmann is an attorney who is very well respected that reportedly came out of semi-retirement in order to try and protect Trump against those around him that sought to give him some bad advice.
“Anyone that has ever worked with Eric Herschmann knows that the handwriting on that note is his,” stated political strategist Arthur Schwartz on social media. “Cassidy lied through her teeth and Liz Cheney knew she was lying.”
The credibility of these recent claims from Hutchinson in her testimony became even less impactful when reports came to light that seemed to indicate that the Secret Service was most likely going to have some form of rebuttal to the claims that she issued.
Hutchinson, who was formerly working under White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, made a claimed that Trump, on the very day of the rally in question, tried to force the Secret Service members to take him over to the U.S. Capitol building, and when denied he became extremely angry once told that they would not be able to secure the area for him.
Hutchinson claimed that, in response, Trump tried to forcefully take the wheel of the armored presidential limousine and was told by Bobby Engel, who at the time was leading the security detail, “Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel.” Then Hutchinson stated that Trump then went after Engel and attacked him.
Hutchinson then alleged that she was given this information from one Anthony Ornato, an official with the Secret Service who was detailed to the White House and held the role of deputy chief of operations.
Shimon Prokupecz with CNN reported that “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.”
The executive editorial producer for ABC News, John Santucci, went on to add that the Secret Service is expected to outright deny these accusations from Hutchinson
“Source close to the Secret Service tells @PierreTABC to expect the Secret Service to push back against any allegation of an assault against an agent or President Trump reaching for the steering wheel,” stated Santucci.
“Tony Ornato is denying that he told Cassidy Hutchinson Trump grabbed the steering wheel in presidential vehicle on 1/6 or lunged at a fellow agent, a USSS official tells @joshscampbell,” tweeted out one CNN reported, Gabby Orr, “CNN confirms that Ornato & Engel are prepared to testify that neither incident occurred.”
Peter Alexander, the NBC News Chief White House Correspondent, stated in a tweet, “A source close to the Secret Service tells me both Bobby Engel, the lead agent, and the presidential limousine/SUV driver are prepared to testify under oath that neither man was assaulted and that Mr. Trump never lunged for the steering wheel.”