Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is denying any involvement in a Republican-led committee’s decision not to subpoena Cassidy Hutchinson, after The Washington Post reported Thursday that one of his aides urged the panel against doing so out of fear of surfacing lewd texts GOP lawmakers allegedly sent to the former White House staffer.

The Washington Post, citing written correspondence and a person familiar with the effort, reported that a Johnson aide in June advised members involved with the investigation against subpoenaing Hutchinson — the star witness in the Jan. 6 select committee’s investigation — to prevent the publication of sexually explicit texts members of Congress had sent her.

The story did not name the Speaker’s staffer nor the lawmakers who allegedly sent the salacious messages.

The report also said that after the June conversation, the Speaker and his senior staffers told Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) and his aides that Hutchinson’s testimony could end up embarrassing President Trump. The outlet cited two people present for the meeting.

Loudermilk at the time was leading a GOP investigation into the now-disbanded Jan. 6 committee.

Johnson, however, is denying any involvement, contending that Loudermilk ultimately did not subpoena Hutchinson because the ex-aide was already cooperating........

© The Hill