CNN reporter Katelyn Polantz on Wednesday said that the federal investigation into former President Donald Trump's role in the January 6th Capitol riots will hinge on getting testimony from former White House counsel Pat Cipollone.
While discussing new reports about the Department of Justice asking courts to force Cipollone to testify in its investigation about legal advice he gave to Trump, Polantz explained that this is a crucial part of the DOJ's criminal probe.
"In a lot of ways, this is the ballgame for the January 6th criminal prosecutions and the grand jury investigation around Donald Trump and after the election," she said. "What's going on here, what they're trying to get at is direct conversations with Donald Trump."
Although such conversations with Trump would normally be protected by attorney-client privilege, the DOJ could argue that issue is moot if Cipollone advised Trump against doing something that was illegal and Trump defied his advice.
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"The one thing they're not answering either to the House Select Committee or the grand jury is exactly what advice they were giving Trump themselves, direct conversations they had with Trump," she said. "So what's happening is Donald Trump is trying to block those final answers from them, from going to the grand jury in this, claiming attorney/client privilege, executive privilege."
Watch the video below or at this link.
'This is the ballgame for January 6th prosecutors': Reporter zeroes in on Pat Cipollone testimonywww.youtube.com
