Pat Cipollone, invoked privilege every time the subject was conversation with Trump (or even Meadows) during those fateful hours. There’s no privilege. He was WH Counsel, not Trump’s personal attorney. As Wikipedia states:
Although the White House counsel offers legal advice to the president and vice president, the counsel does so in the president’s and vice president’s official capacity, and does not serve as the president’s personal attorney. Therefore, controversy has emerged over the scope of the attorney–client privilege between the counsel and the president and vice president, namely with John Dean of Watergate notoriety. It is clear, however, that the privilege does not apply in strictly personal matters. It also does not apply to legislative proceedings by the U.S. Congress against the president due to allegations of misconduct while in office, such as formal censures or impeachment proceedings. In those situations the president relies on a personal attorney if he desires confidential legal advice.
He’s a crucial witness and knows it and hides behind privilege. He also is the guy who first came to public attention when he vigorously defended Trump in his first impeachment. His sympathies are pretty clear; he’s no “John Dean,” as some in the press had hoped. The 1/6 Committee could have contested his claims to privilege, which would get hung up in court probably beyond the ’24 election, or take as much corroborating info as possible and let him look responsible. But we now have just enough to get the DoJ to do the rest in terms of Trump’s culpability. Will he? To be a democracy or not to be a democracy-- that is the question. (emphasis added)
In other words, Cipollone had no legal basis to invoke privilege. There was no privilege to invoke. He openly spit on the 1/6 Committee and what it was trying to do. By doing so, he intentionally and knowingly deceived and betrayed democracy, truth and the American people. He did that in the name of loyalty to T**** above loyalty to all else.
PD also cited this Tweet by a well-known legal scholar, Lawrence Tribe.
Cipollone should be compelled to testify in the DC grand jury about what Trump told him. No executive privilege or attorney/client privilege would apply and if he tries to take the 5th he should be immunized. That would test Garland’s commitment to democracy and the rule of law.
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) July 22, 2022
To get at the truth of what T**** was saying to people, Cipollone would probably need to be immunized against prosecution for his own crimes. He is a defender and enabler of T**** and his coup attempt, so expecting him to talk voluntarily is unreasonable. He would need to be forced to talk or put in jail for contempt if he refused.
The T**** White House had other treasonous criminals working in defense of T****’s attempted coup. They all knew exactly what they were working for, destruction of democracy and installation of a tyrant-kleptocrat for life.
Just as bad, the morally rotted, fascist Republican Party supported it then and still supports it now.
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