The problem of the messages is that they were never backed up, no place to retrieve them from. If the phones were just sitting around then it might be a good chance of the messages recovered. But the phones are long gone, probably recycled. In the mean time.
DOJ subpoenas Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone
Former White House Counsel Pat Cipollone has been subpoenaed by the Justice Department in an investigation increasingly involving former President Trump’s closest advisors,
according to reports from multiple news outlets.
The subpoena comes as the Justice Department has been bringing other White House officials before a grand jury in its probe into Jan. 6.
Cipollone would be able to offer considerable insight into actions at the White House both leading up to and on Jan. 6. His testimony before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack indicates he had numerous concerns about the former president’s plans for the day and how he responded to the riot.
The Justice Department has already brought two former advisors to Vice President Mike Pence before a grand jury.
It has also executed search warrants on Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Department assistant attorney general who Trump weighed installing as attorney general so he could forward investigations into the president’s baseless claims of election fraud, along with John Eastman. Eastman, a former law professor, crafted memo’s for the campaign advising they submit alternate electoral certificates and that Pence buck his ceremonial duty to certify the election results.
According to
ABC News, which first reported the subpoena, Cipollone’s attorney is expected to negotiate his appearance, given the former White House counsel’s concerns around executive privilege.
An attorney for Cipollone did not respond to a request for comment and the Justice Department also declined comment.
“This is probably bad for former President Trump. If he goes in front of the grand jury, it shows that this is more than, you know, what did John Eastman do (The attorney that basically came up with that crazy scheme to overturn the election)? And it probably has a very deep interest in what the president did,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said in an appearance on CNN’s “New Day” on Wednesday morning.
“The Justice Department knows better what they can, in essence, get around when it comes to saying executive privilege. And so I hope they go at that judiciously. I hope Pat Cipollone actually just tells the truth, I have no doubt that he hasn’t, but there’s no reason to protect particularly criminal behavior or what could potentially be criminal behavior behind executive privilege,” he added.
Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone has been subpoenaed by the Justice Department in an investigation increasingly involving former President Trump’s closest advisers, according to reports fro…
thehill.com