Grand Jury Rejects Indictment of Former White House Aide Cassidy Hutchinson

A federal grand jury in Washington refused to return an indictment against Cassidy Hutchinson on Tuesday, according to two people familiar with the matter. The decision marks a setback for the Justice Department, which has pursued several politically sensitive cases in the lead-up to the midterm elections next week.

Hutchinson served as a special assistant to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. She provided testimony to the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Her account described President Donald Trump as angry and defiant on the day a crowd of supporters stormed the building to halt the certification of his 2020 election loss.

Prosecutors had not immediately clarified the specific allegations they brought before the grand jury. However, Republican lawmakers previously accused Hutchinson of lying under oath during her 2022 deposition. They focused on her description of events surrounding a rally that morning, where she said Trump attempted to let armed protesters bypass security screenings.

Hutchinson also testified that Trump grabbed the steering wheel of the presidential SUV when Secret Service agents refused to let him proceed to the Capitol. She stated she was relaying information from a White House security official rather than providing a firsthand account, as she was not inside the vehicle. A transcript of the driver's interview, released by House Republicans in March 2024, contradicted the steering wheel claim while confirming that Trump insisted on going to the Capitol.

The driver told the committee that Trump never grabbed the wheel and did not lunge for the front seat. Hutchinson has also alleged that members of Trump's inner circle offered her job opportunities and financial assistance while she cooperated with investigators. She claimed a former White House ethics counsel told her that the less she remembered, the better. The former attorney has disputed that account.

It is uncommon for a grand jury in Washington to decline an indictment. Earlier this year, a different grand jury rejected charges against Democratic lawmakers over a video urging service members to reject unlawful orders. The Justice Department has faced repeated rejections in high-profile cases involving perceived adversaries of the current administration.

Among other actions, prosecutors have attempted to charge former FBI Director James Comey. Federal agents also searched the home of Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota and vocal critic of President Trump. These moves have drawn attention to the department's strategy in targeting political figures before voters head to the polls.

Hutchinson, a native of Pennington, New Jersey, declined to comment on Tuesday through her lawyer. She previously interned for Republican officials, including Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. She worked in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs before serving under Meadows.

In 2022, Hutchinson told the committee that she felt her loyalties lay with the truth. She said she never wanted to diverge from that position. President Trump denied much of her testimony at the time, calling her a total phony on his social media platform Truth Social.

The House impeached Trump in 2021 for inciting the Capitol attack, and the Senate acquitted him. A special counsel appointed under the Biden administration later charged him with felony offenses related to the election loss. That case was abandoned after his 2024 victory, consistent with Justice Department policy regarding sitting presidents.