A Jan. 6 committee witness at the center of explosive testimony about former President Donald Trump has resigned from the Secret Service on Monday.
Secret Service Assistant Director Anthony “Tony” Ornato, who served as a top aide in Trump’s White House, is leaving the agency in good standing after 25 years of “devoted service,” Secret Service Special Agent Kevin Helgert confirmed to the Washington Examiner.
“I did retire today to pursue a career in the private sector. I retired from the U.S. 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,” Ornato said in a statement. He also said he did not take a job with Trump or the former president’s business empire, CNN reported.
Cassidy Hutchinson, who was an assistant to chief of staff Mark Meadows, delivered testimony in a public hearing this summer before the Jan. 6 committee, recalling how she heard from Ornato that Trump grabbed at the steering wheel and used his free hand to “lunge” at Bobby Engel, who was head of Trump’s security detail, when the then president was told on Jan. 6 after his speech on the Ellipse that they could not head to the Capitol.
When Ornato recounted the story, according to Hutchinson, Engel did not dispute any of it. Trump reacted on Truth Social to Hutchinson’s testimony, calling it a “fake story.”
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The Secret Service released a statement after the public hearing with Hutchinson, saying, “The United States Secret Service has been cooperating with the Select Committee since its inception in spring 2021, and will continue to do so, including by responding on the record to the Committee regarding the new allegations surfaced in today’s testimony.”
Ornato himself has reportedly testified to the Jan. 6 committee a couple of times, including offering details about what was known of former Vice President Mike Pence’s whereabouts during the Capitol riot. However, he has not appeared before the panel since Hutchinson’s blockbuster testimony in June, per Politico‘s sources. Committee member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) said in July that Ornato and Engel had retained private counsel.
Other former Trump officials have raised concerns about Ornato’s reliability, but former Trump White House aide Keith Kellogg defended him, saying, “I was privileged to know USSS Special Agent in Charge Tony Ornato. Like all USSS Agents, he was highly professional, circumspect in everyday action, and trusted. I would take his sworn testimony to the bank.”
