Grand jury rejects indictment of ex-White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson

A federal grand jury in Washington refused to indict Cassidy Hutchinson, the former White House staffer who gave controversial testimony regarding President Donald Trump's actions on January 6, 2021.

Two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that prosecutors failed to secure the indictment on Tuesday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the case had not yet been made public. This refusal is part of a recent trend where Washington grand juries have declined to approve charges in politically sensitive cases brought by the Trump administration's Justice Department.

Hutchinson served as a special assistant to Mark Meadows, Trump's chief of staff. In 2022, she testified before a House committee about the Capitol attack. Her account described Trump as angry and defiant. She said he attempted to let armed protesters bypass security screenings at a morning rally. She also alleged that he grabbed the steering wheel of the presidential SUV when the Secret Service blocked his path to the Capitol. During her testimony, she stated that Trump declined to intervene as the crowd chanted for Vice President Mike Pence to be removed.

Republican lawmakers accused Hutchinson of lying under oath. In March 2024, the House released a transcript of an interview with the Secret Service officer who drove the presidential vehicle that day. The driver said Trump was insistent on reaching the Capitol but denied seeing the steering wheel altercation. He stated, 'I didn't see him, you know, lunge to try to get into the front seat at all.' The driver also said Trump 'never grabbed the steering wheel.'

Hutchinson has claimed that members of Trump's inner circle offered her job opportunities and financial aid while she cooperated with the committee. She testified that a former White House ethics counsel told her 'the less you remember, the better.' The former attorney has disputed that account. Trump previously called her a 'total phony' on his social media platform, Truth Social.

The failed indictment joins other recent Justice Department moves targeting perceived adversaries of the president. These include a new attempt to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey and a search of the home of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. These actions have drawn attention in the lead up to next week's midterm elections.

Hutchinson declined to comment through her lawyer on Tuesday. The Justice Department had not immediately provided details of the specific allegations prosecutors intended to charge.