Liz Cheney is a Professor of Practice at the University of Virginia. She is also the daughter of former Vice-President Dick Cheney (2001-2008). Cheney’s most controversial moments have come as one of the members of the January 6th Select Committee. Formed to investigate the Capitol protests of January 2021, Cheney and the committee sought to portray the mostly peaceful protests as a directed attack on the Capitol and even democracy itself. As Vice-Chair, Cheney had exclusive access to over forty-thousand hours of footage and still photos from the riots and wielded immense subpoena power. When former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon defied the committee's subpoena, citing executive privilege, Cheney voted to hold him in contempt of Congress. While appeals are still ongoing, Bannon could face four months in jail. When Peter Navarro—Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy under President Trump—defied the committee's subpoenas, Cheney voted to hold him in Contempt of Congress and referred Navarro to the Department of Justice for prosecution. Navarro was allegedly dragged off a plane by FBI agents at the time of his arrest and “frog marched” into a jail cell where he spent 24 hours without legal counsel or communications. After 41,000 hours of Capitol footage was released to Tucker Carlson, Cheney and the other committee members were scrutinized for selectively editing and withholding key evidence. Upon review, Tucker Carlson’s team determined that sound effects were added to the footage to make the protest seem more chaotic and violent. In one brief clip released by Cheney and the January 6th Committee, Senator Josh Hawley appears to be fleeing the protests that Committee members accused him of instigating. The full footage withheld by the Committee reveals dozens of congressmen were evacuated by the capitol police, and Hawley was jogging behind. While prominent officials claimed that Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick was murdered by protestors, released footage shows Sicknick—whose death was later determined to be caused by stroke—unharmed and directing protestors in the Capitol. Electric bookmarks indicate Vice-Chair Cheney’s and the Committee reviewed the footage but chose not to release it. As Vice-President of the Committee, Cheney had access to the exculpatory footage of Jacob Chansley—nicknamed the “Q-Shaman”— but refused to release it. Chansley was arrested and pled guilty to obstructing an official proceeding. He is currently serving up to 41 months in prison. The footage shows Chansley being led around the capitol by police, who even opened doors for him. Chansley’s lawyer claims the footage was withheld from the defense. He had not even seen the footage until it was released after the trial concluded. Despite Cheney’s relentless pursuit of defendants, critics have noted her reluctance to subpoena Ray Epps, who is infamous for telling protestors to “go into Capitol”, and was present among the rioters who first breached the barricades. Despite his actions, Cheney has vocally defended Epps. When pressed by a student at the University of Chicago why the “insurrectionist” Epps hadn’t been arrested, the Vice-Chair denounced the inquiry as a “conspiracy theory.” Epps has long been suspected of being a federal informant, in part for remaining free despite being filmed agitating protestors to commit violence at the Capitol. Epps lied under oath about his whereabouts on January 6th, but Cheney and the Committee made no attempts to refer Epps for prosecution. Cheney’s initial foray into politics came in 2013 when she primaried Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi. She spent most of her childhood and adult life outside of the state and only moved to Jackson Hole in 2012. Media outlets deemed Cheney a “carpetbagger” after her campaign announcement geotagged her location in Virginia, her primary residence at the time. Although eventually withdrawing, Cheney successfully ran for Wyoming’s Lone House Seat in 2016, where she served from 2016-2022 before losing the primary by nearly 40 points to challenger Harriet Hageman. While in Congress, Cheney took no public salary. Despite this, her personal wealth ballooned by over 600%. Entering office with roughly $7 million dollars in assets, Cheney left six years later with an estimated net worth of $44 million. Much of Cheney’s wealth is tied to her stake in the law firm Latham & Watkins. Her husband, Philip J. Perry, has served as a partner since she first took office. The firm advised and lobbied on behalf of technology companies with direct connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The State Department declared one company, Tencent, a “tool of the Chinese government” over surveillance and security concerns. Latham & Watkins further lobbied on behalf of Exelon, a corporation that aids the Chinese government’s nuclear program. While her husband’s firm advised CCP companies, Cheney handled classified information regarding national security while serving on the Armed Services Committee. Upon Cheney’s acceptance of her position as Professor of Practice at the University, Virginia President Jim Ryan stated that he was “delighted [that] students will have an incredible opportunity to learn from Liz Cheney, who has fiercely defended democracy as part of a distinguished career.” Director of the Center for Politics, Larry Sabato, called Cheney a “model of political courage and leadership.” Cheney’s position will run through the end of the Fall 2023 semester, with an option to renew upon the conclusion of the academic year.

Published - April 5, 2023

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