Federal grand jury rejects charges against Cassidy Hutchinson

A federal grand jury in Washington returned a no bill on Tuesday, declining to indict Cassidy Hutchinson on criminal charges. A senior U.S. official confirmed that the jury rejected the Justice Department's attempt to prosecute the former White House aide based on statements she made about President Donald Trump. Hutchinson's name was not spoken aloud in the courtroom when the decision was announced, but the official verified that the case involved her.

The investigation focused on Hutchinson's 2022 testimony before the now-defunct Democratic-led congressional committee on January 6. She had been a senior aide to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. During her testimony, she described Trump urging the removal of metal detectors near his speaking area on January 6, 2021. She quoted him as saying attendees were not there to hurt him and that he did not care if they had weapons. She also recounted that Trump attempted to grab the steering wheel and a bodyguard's throat during a disagreement over going to the Capitol. Secret Service officials later denied that account, while Hutchinson maintained her testimony was truthful.

The case was handled by the Civil Rights Division, headed by Trump appointee Harmeet Dhillon. The grand jury heard evidence against Hutchinson in early October. This denial marks the latest in a series of rejected indictments in cases brought against individuals Trump has labeled political enemies. Other targets of the department's scrutiny include Sen. Adam Schiff, former CIA Director John Brennan, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and former FBI Director James Comey. Prosecutors successfully secured indictments in some of these cases, but they have failed to indict James after three attempts and six sitting Democratic members of Congress over a social media video.

Trump has called Hutchinson a scam artist who lied under oath. He posted on Truth Social in 2022 asking what the Justice Department would do about her. In March of this year, he shared an article about House Republicans referring her to the Justice Department for prosecution. Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC News in April that the failed prosecutions showed the department was working hard. He suggested the grand juries might have made wrong decisions and stated that some cases were still under investigation.

The refusal to indict does not prevent the Justice Department from trying to charge Hutchinson again in the future. The pattern of denials led the chief federal judge in Washington to issue a new policy this year. The policy requires the Justice Department to notify the magistrate judge on duty when a federal grand jury rejects an indictment attempt.

The legal decision arrives as Trump continues to reshape the narrative of the January 6 attack. He pardoned the rioters on the first day of his second term. The administration also reached an agreement this year to launch a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund for those involved in the attack. That fund, part of a settlement in a lawsuit against the IRS, was later scuttled.