Federal Grand Jury Declines to Indict Cassidy Hutchinson Over January 6 Testimony

A federal grand jury in Washington has declined to indict former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson over her testimony to the House panel that investigated the January 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol, according to Reuters and CNN, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The Justice Department had been investigating whether Hutchinson gave false testimony to the panel. Hutchinson has maintained that her testimony was truthful, Reuters reported.

In a court appearance on Tuesday, a Justice Department attorney told U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui that a grand jury had submitted a “non-concurrence,” meaning it rejected an indictment prosecutors sought, CNN reported. The attorney did not name a defendant, but sources confirmed to both outlets that the rejected indictment concerned Hutchinson.

A rare rejection by a grand jury

CNN reported that such rejections are rare because prosecutors must show only probable cause that a crime was committed. The outlet reported that grand juries have declined charges in cases, including a charge sought against former FBI Director James Comey and cases involving New York Attorney General Letitia James and six lawmakers.

What Hutchinson told the panel

Hutchinson, a former aide to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, told the panel that Trump knew some supporters carried weapons on January 6 and wanted security screening eased so they could attend his speech, according to CNN. She also described what she said she heard about Trump’s efforts to force his motorcade toward the Capitol, an account others with the president that day have disputed.

CNN reported that former special counsel Jack Smith told Congress in a closed-door interview this year that Hutchinson was not a powerful witness in his investigation, in part because many of her stories were secondhand.

Reporting based on coverage by Reuters and CNN.