Pro-Trump groups paid the legal fees for multiple January 6 witnesses, the NYT reported.
It includes Cassidy Hutchinson, who later fired her lawyer and gave damning testimony, the NYT said.
The reported arrangements suggest Trump may be seeking to influence witnesses by paying their legal fees.
Former President Donald Trump's allies and supporters paid the legal fees for multiple people who had provided testimony to the January 6 committee, including the former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, The New York Times reported.
Hutchinson eventually fired the lawyer who was paid for by a pro-Trump group, and went on to provide damning testimony about Trump, the report said.
Two sources familiar with the committee told The Times that they believe Hutchinson's decision to part ways with the lawyer — who had been recommended by Trump allies and paid for by a pro-Trump PAC — likely played a role in her decision to provide new evidence...
The reported arrangements raise concerns that Trump is seeking to influence witnesses in the investigation. The committee has also shown messages from Trump allies to witnesses apparently warning them against testifying.
There are no laws against a third party paying for a witness' legal representation in a congressional inquiry, but the situation may raise some ethical concerns, according to the report. Witness tampering, however, is a federal crime.