Cassidy Hutchinson avoids indictment after federal grand jury rejects charges

A federal grand jury in Washington has rejected an attempt by the Justice Department to indict Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide who delivered prominent testimony regarding Donald Trump during congressional hearings on the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, according to a senior U.S. official cited by NBC News.

The grand jury issued a no bill on Tuesday, effectively refusing prosecutors' requests to bring criminal charges against Hutchinson over her past statements. While Hutchinson's name was not spoken aloud in the courtroom during the formal announcement, the senior official confirmed that the proceeding involved her case. Neither the Justice Department nor representatives for Hutchinson offered immediate comment.

Federal investigators had directed their attention to Hutchinson's high-profile 2022 appearances before the House select committee that investigated the events of Jan. 6, 2021. Hutchinson served as a senior aide to Mark Meadows, who was then Trump's White House chief of staff. During her testimony, she recounted several contentious episodes, including Trump's insistence on dropping magnetometer security checks near his rally site and an account relayed to her that Trump had lunged toward the steering wheel of his presidential vehicle when staff declined to drive him to the Capitol. Secret Service officials later contested that particular vehicle account, but Hutchinson has consistently stood by the accuracy of her sworn testimony.

The matter was handled through the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, currently led by Harmeet Dhillon, an appointee of President Trump. The unit's standard portfolio focuses on enforcing federal anti-discrimination measures and shielding constitutional protections. Although grand jurors turned down the proposed indictment, the decision does not legally prevent prosecutors from seeking charges again at a later stage.

Trump has repeatedly attacked Hutchinson in public statements, branding her dishonest and demanding that federal law enforcement take action against her. Following a referral from House Republicans, Trump publicly questioned what steps prosecutors planned to pursue.

The outcome marks another legal setback for the Justice Department, which has faced a series of grand jury rejections while attempting to prosecute individuals Trump has viewed as political adversaries. Officials have previously pursued inquiries or attempted indictments against figures including California Senator Adam Schiff, former CIA Director John Brennan, former FBI Director James Comey, and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Efforts to charge James were rejected by grand juries on three distinct occasions following an earlier dismissal on technical issues. Prosecutors also failed to secure charges against six sitting Democratic lawmakers over an online video advising military personnel to refuse unlawful directives.

Responding to previous grand jury rejections in April, Attorney General Todd Blanche remarked to NBC News that such difficulties demonstrated rigorous effort from prosecutors. He suggested that grand jurors can make mistakes on complex matters and noted that some cases remain under active investigation.

The volume of rejected indictments recently prompted the chief federal judge in Washington to establish a protocol requiring prosecutors to formally inform the duty magistrate judge whenever a grand jury declines to approve an indictment.