Washington grand jury spares ex-White House aide from indictment
Cassidy Hutchinson faces no criminal charges after jurors rejected prosecutors' request, a development occurring just days before the midterm elections.
By Andrew Yang ·
A federal grand jury in Washington refused to indict Cassidy Hutchinson on Tuesday.
Hutchinson served as a special assistant to Mark Meadows during the Trump administration. She provided detailed testimony to a House committee regarding the events of January 6, 2021. Two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that jurors rejected the Justice Department's request for an indictment. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
Hutchinson first took the stand in 2022 for a surprise hearing. She described President Donald Trump as angry and defiant on the morning of the Capitol attack. She testified that he tried to let armed protesters skip security screenings at a rally. She also said he grabbed the steering wheel of the presidential SUV when Secret Service agents refused to take him to the Capitol. Trump denied much of her account on Truth Social, calling her a total phony and bad news. In March 2024, House Republicans released a transcript from a Secret Service officer who drove the presidential SUV that day. The officer said he did not see Trump lunge for the front seat or grab the wheel, though he confirmed the president wanted to go to the Capitol.
The Justice Department has pursued other politically sensitive cases in recent weeks. Prosecutors recently moved to charge former FBI Director James Comey. Federal agents also searched the home of Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. These actions have drawn attention as the midterm elections approach next week. It is uncommon for grand juries to decline indictments, but Washington jurors have rejected similar requests earlier this year in cases involving Democratic lawmakers.
Hutchinson has stated that she felt her loyalties lay with the truth while cooperating with investigators. She alleged that members of Trump's inner circle offered job opportunities and financial help during that time. Her former lawyer, who served as ethics counsel in the White House, told her that the less she remembered, the better. The former attorney has disputed that account. Hutchinson, a native of Pennington, New Jersey, previously interned for Republican leaders including Representative Steve Scalise and Senator Ted Cruz.
The House impeached Trump in 2021 on charges of inciting the mob, though the Senate acquitted him. The Justice Department under President Biden later charged him with felony offenses related to the 2020 election. Special counsel Jack Smith abandoned that case after Trump won the 2024 presidential election. Department policy holds that sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution.
