A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., declined Tuesday to indict Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide, after the Justice Department sought criminal charges tied to statements she made to Congress in 2022, according to two sources cited by Fox News Digital.
The sources said prosecutors pursued an indictment over allegations that Hutchinson lied to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The grand jury did not return an indictment. It is not clear whether federal prosecutors will try again.
Hutchinson served as a top aide to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. She became a prominent witness before the House select committee examining the Capitol riot and efforts by President Donald Trump to challenge the outcome of the 2020 election.
In a nationally televised hearing in June 2022, Hutchinson testified about Trump’s conduct on Jan. 6. One part of her account concerned the president’s reaction after being told he could not travel to the Capitol. Hutchinson said she had heard the account from another White House official. Her description of an alleged confrontation inside the presidential vehicle was later disputed by other people familiar with the events, according to the supplied reporting.
The grand jury’s decision does not resolve whether Hutchinson’s testimony was accurate or false. Hutchinson has previously said she stands by what she told the committee.
Fox News Digital had earlier reported that a Washington grand jury heard evidence about possible false statements Hutchinson made to the congressional panel. At that stage, a source familiar with the matter said further evidence might be presented the following week and that prosecutors had not made a final decision about whether to bring charges. The New York Post also reported that the Justice Department was investigating Hutchinson over possible false statements to Congress.
The Justice Department, along with the offices of Reps. Barry Loudermilk and Bennie Thompson, was contacted for comment, Fox News Digital reported. The supplied material does not include responses from those offices or the department.
