Secret Service Agent Tony Ornato Nopes Out Of Government Service On Eve Of January 6 Testimony. Huh!

Cool timing, bro!

In the least surprising news ever, Tony Ornato, the Secret Service agent at the center of Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony about Trump demanding to be driven to Congress during the Capitol Riot, is retiring from government service effective immediately. And because he's no longer a government employee, he can't be forced to testify by the House January 6 Select Committee or Department of Homeland Security investigators seeking information about the Capitol Riot. What a coincidence!

In her explosive public testimony, Mark Meadows's former assistant recalled Ornato dejectedly telling her and Bobby Engel, the head of Trump's security detail, that Trump had lost his shit in the limo when Engel refused to take him to join the rioters sacking Congress.

““I am the effing president, take me up to the Capitol now.” Cassidy Hutchinson says Trump reached to grab the steering wheel when his security detail refused to take him to the Capitol — and lunged at his clavicle.”

— Axios (@Axios) 1656439464 

Once the president had gotten in "the Beast" with Bobby, and Bobby had relayed to him that, "we're not, we don't have the assets to do it, it's not secure, we're going back to the West Wing," the president had a very strong, very angry response to that. Tony described him as being "irate." The president said something to the effect of “I'm the effing president, take me up to the Capitol now.” To which Bobby responded, "Sir, we have to go back to the West Wing." The president reached up to the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering wheel, Mr. Engel grabbed his arm, said, "Sir, you have to take your hand off the steering wheel, we're going back to the West Wing. We're not going to the Capitol." Mr. Trump then used his free hand to lunge toward Bobby Engel. When Mr. Ornato had recounted this story to me, he had motioned toward his clavicles.

Immediately the Secret Service raced to all their favorite reporters to say Hutchinson was full of shit and that the agents involved would contradict her under oath. That was June. Now it's August, and, hey, wouldn't ya know it , that never happened. These assholes slimed her all over the media, with that weenus Don Jr. even calling for her to be prosecuted for perjury. Why, yes, that would be the same guy who refused to testify to Special Counsel Robert Mueller and had to be ordered by the court to testify before New York Attorney General Letitia James.

In fact, none of these Twitter warriors have stepped up to the plate to contradict Hutchinson under oath. And according to The Intercept , Ornato has engaged in protracted scheduling negotiations with the DHS Inspector General about being questioned about the events of January 6, 2021, only agreeing to an interview on August 31, before abruptly announcing his retirement.

Ornato had finally agreed to an interview with Department of Homeland Security investigators on August 31 after multiple attempts to arrange one. According to a memo sent by the DHS Office of Inspector General to the head of the Secret Service, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and DHS general counsel, the inspector general had been attempting to interview Ornato since June 29 and spent all of July and much of August following up.

For example, Ornato cited vacation as a reason he couldn’t attend an interview. “I believe my counsel spoke to you and / or your team, but I am traveling out of district on annual leave and am not available on the dates provided,” Ornato wrote in an email on August 24. “When I am back from vacation, I will circle back with you and your team.”

According to The Intercept, Ornato still intends to sit for the interview. But as a private citizen, this will be entirely voluntary, and he can refuse to answer any or or all questions.

Nevertheless, Ornato insists that his retirement has long been in the works, and the timing is just a fortuitous accident.

"I did retire today to pursue a career in the private sector. I retired from the US Secret Service after more than 25 years of faithful service to my country, including serving the past five presidents. I long planned to retire and have been planning this transition for more than a year," he told CNN , which first reported his separation from government service.

He also insists that he's not going to work for any Trump-related entity, despite having been such a loyal courtier that he was seconded to the White House as deputy chief of staff during Trump's term of office.

But we note that he's not saying exactly where he's going when he nopes out of government service. Luckily the wingnut welfare train is long and has a whole bunch of cars for him to hop in and get comfy.

Boy, bye.

[ Intercept / CNN ]

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