Ex-Trump, Hutchinson lawyer suing Jan. 6 panel for creating 'false narrative' about him

Former Trump White House attorney Stefan Passantino, who represented Jan. 6 Committee witness former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, filed a claim against the now-dissolved Democratic-led House panel for $67 million for destroying "his reputation and career."

The claim filed last week states that "the Committee acted against [Passantino] in an effort to destroy his reputation and career in support of a pre-ordained political and legal narrative against the forty-fifth President of the United States, Donald J. Trump."

Passantino was connected to Hutchinson after she contacted Trump's political action committee, the Save America PAC, for help paying for her legal support after she received a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee in November 2021. 

Hutchinson stopped using Passantino in June 2022 and had a new attorney represent her after that point.

In his claim, Passantino said: "The Committee told an outrageous tale to media sources, such as CNN and possibly others, about Mr. Passantino’s non-existent efforts to obstruct their investigation by impacting the testimony of their 'star' witness, Cassidy Hutchinson."

The information leaked in December was that Hutchinson told the panel that Passantino advised her to mislead the committee about certain events regarding the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Passantino said he did not tell Hutchinson to lie or perjure herself and the committee's leak was "unjustifiable, outrageous and malicious."

As a result of the leak, Passantino said he separated from one of his law firms and is now defending himself against bar complaints, causing him "immediate and severe reputational, emotional, and economic damages."

The claim was filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The government has six months to respond before he is able to file a federal lawsuit, according to Bloomberg Law.