Secret Service Deputy Director Tony Ornato abruptly retired on Monday just two days before he was scheduled to be interviewed by Jan. 6 investigators.
Ornato, who made the unprecedented transition from the Secret Service to the Trump White House as deputy chief of staff for operations, pushed back on former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony to the House Jan. 6 committee earlier this year, disputing her claim that former President Donald Trump lunged at a Secret Service agent after he was told he couldn't accompany his supporters to the Capitol. Though anonymous agency sources told media outlets Ornato was willing to testify under oath, Ornato has yet to agree to an interview with the Jan. 6 committee and recently retained a private lawyer.
