By Fatma Younis
A federal grand jury in Washington declined to indict former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, the star witness of the House Jan. 6 committee, a senior U.S. official confirmed Tuesday.
Prosecutors sought charges over testimony
Prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, led by Trump appointee Harmeet Dhillon, presented evidence to the grand jury in early October. They sought to charge Hutchinson for statements she made during her 2022 testimony about former President Donald Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021. The grand jury returned a “no bill,” rejecting the indictment.
Hutchinson’s testimony detailed Trump’s conduct
Hutchinson, a senior aide to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, testified that Trump urged removal of metal detectors at his Jan. 6 rally, saying attendees were “not here to hurt me” and “I don’t f---ing care that they have weapons.” She also said Trump tried to go to the Capitol and grabbed the steering wheel of the presidential limousine and the throat of a Secret Service agent who refused. The Secret Service denied that account; Hutchinson has maintained her testimony was truthful.
Latest in series of failed indictments
The decision marks another setback for the Justice Department in cases targeting individuals Trump has labeled political enemies. Previous attempts to indict Senator Adam Schiff, former CIA Director John Brennan, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and former FBI Director James Comey have also been rejected by grand juries. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the denials show the department is “working hard,” adding that grand jurors “don’t get everything right.”
Trump’s response and broader context
Trump has repeatedly called Hutchinson a “scam artist” who lied under oath and urged her prosecution. On his first day of a second term, he pardoned Jan. 6 rioters, including those convicted of assaulting police. A proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” to compensate riot participants was later abandoned.
