A federal grand jury has reportedly rejected the Department of Justice’s request to indict former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. The DOJ had sought to charge Hutchinson with making false statements in her 2022 congressional testimony regarding President Donald Trump’s actions on January 6, 2021.
Hutchinson’s testimony included a second-hand account of Trump becoming irate and lunging at his security detail driver when he was told he could not go to the Capitol. The grand jury’s decision to deny the indictment is considered rare and highlights the challenges in prosecuting cases stemming from the Capitol attack.
Grand Jury Declines to Indict Former Trump Aide Cassidy Hutchinson on False Statement Charges
In a significant development, a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. has reportedly rejected a request from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to indict former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. Hutchinson had faced potential charges related to alleged false statements made during her testimony to a congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Cassidy Hutchinson, former aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, testifies before the House Select Committee to investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol on June 28, 2022. (Photo: Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters)
The DOJ's Civil Rights Division had sought to indict Hutchinson, citing claims that her testimony contained falsehoods. The core of the contested testimony involved a second-hand account of President Donald Trump's alleged angry reaction when told he could not go to the Capitol on January 6th. According to Hutchinson's account, relayed by former White House official Tony Ornato, Trump became irate and lunged towards the steering wheel of his security detail's vehicle when denied the opportunity to go to the Capitol.
The decision by the grand jury to deny the indictment is noteworthy, as it is considered rare for prosecutors to present evidence to a grand jury and have it refuse to indict. This instance follows other recent cases where federal prosecutors in Washington have reportedly faced challenges in obtaining grand jury indictments they sought, particularly in cases involving conduct that occurred several years prior.
Hutchinson's testimony was a key part of the House Select Committee's investigation into the events of January 6th. Her detailed account provided insights into the actions and mindset of President Trump and his inner circle on the day of the Capitol riot. The committee's investigation aimed to understand the circumstances leading up to, during, and after the attack, which disrupted the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
While the grand jury's decision shields Hutchinson from federal indictment on these specific charges, the broader investigations into the January 6th events continue. This development underscores the complexities and legal challenges inherent in prosecuting cases related to the Capitol attack and the testimony surrounding it.
Correction: An earlier version of this article contained a misspelling of DOJ lawyer Neville Hedley's name.
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