So what did Engel say and why isn't the committee telling us? I don't get why Cassidy Hutchinson was permitted to testify to hearsay (what Ornato told her Engel told him) when the primary witness, Engel was available. That would never be allowed in a courtroom. The story she told, that Engel had to tell him to let go of the steering wheel, didn't make sense. I don't see how it would be physically possible for Trump to reach the steering wheel from the back seat of the "Beast".

I'm not making excuses for a trumps behavior. My issue is the way the hearings were conducted , more like a circus than a courtroom, doesn't give me much confidence in their "investigation"

Thanks Gal, that adds some context, but even in a Secret Service SUV (full sized) , I can't see how it is possibleTo actually reach the steering wheel from the back seat.

What I think is that the story as first told was an exaggeration which may have grown by the time Cassidy repeated it. This is exactly why hearsay is inadmissible. We should have heard Engels testimony in the matter, not hers.

I have disdain for ALL Congressional investigations, regardless of subject or party. They are entirely political in nature and follow no rules. It's theater, mostly comprised of members listening to their own voices, berating witnesses rather than listening to them.

Law enforcement and the US Attorney are tasked with identifying and prosecuting those responsible for Jan 6. Congress is authorized to conduct investigations for the limited purpose of addressing need for legislation. In this case and so many others, they go way, way, past that purpose.

From Time magazine:

"In the fall, the committee plans to release a written report which will include some findings that won't be covered in any of the hearings. The panel is looking for a professional writer who can turn that document into a narrative thriller, much like the 9/11 Commission Report, which quickly became a best-seller.

Members of the committee have likened the hearings to a Netflix series, told in multiple parts. But with more crucial details coming to light, the series may end up being significantly longer than the committee originally envisioned.

"These are like the Watergate hearings for the streaming era," says Norm Eisen, a Brookings Institute senior fellow who served as special counsel for the House's first impeachment of Trump. "Because what they've recognized is that you need to tell a compelling story."

The point is Engel and Ornato both testified (prior to Cassidy) and were never asked about the alleged wheel grabbing incident, Instead they called Cassidy to testify that it occurred, despite the fact that she wasn't present, and her only knowledge of the incident came from a story Ornato allegedly told her. After Cassidy testified, Ornato and Engel said they were prepared to testify that the wheel grab incident didn't happen at all , but the committee didn't take further testimony from them. So. Here we are months later, the committee has reinterviewed Engel, but won't reveal what he said.

It's really a trivial matter, but the way this one incident was handled destroys the credibility of the investigative process. There was no real effort to discern the truth.

Gal,,
I'll try to find a link, I saw many references that said they testified BEFORE Cassidy. As far as them not being asked because the committee didn't know to ask them, that doesn't fly. it is apparent that Cassidy had been previously interviewed and the committee already knew what she was going to say before her sworn testimony, the allegations about the wheel grab were not a surprise, they cmertainly had the opportunity to ask Engel the same questions.

I'm not suggesting that Cassidy was untruthful in any way, just that she had no actual knowledge of what happened in the SUV, so it was inappropriate to present her testimony on the matter.

From the article at the top of the thread

"Ornato and Engel both testified before the committee before Hutchinson."

Also, it's not clear whether Ornato was in the SUV ... it doesn't make sense that he would be, in which case Cassidy' account was THIRD hand. Only Engel and the driver are actual witnesses.