Grand Jury Declines to Indict Ex-Trump Aide Hutchinson Over Jan. 6 Testimony

A federal grand jury has declined a Justice Department request to indict former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson over testimony she gave to Congress in 2022 about President Trump's actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot, according to reports.

Prosecutors in the department's Civil Rights Division had sought charges against Hutchinson, alleging she made false statements, according to people familiar with the matter. A senior DOJ lawyer confirmed in court that the grand jury had rejected the requested indictment, without naming Hutchinson directly in open proceedings.

Hutchinson had testified before the House committee investigating the Capitol attack that she was told secondhand that Trump became angry after being informed he could not travel to the Capitol following his rally speech that day. According to her account, a presidential aide described Trump as furious and said the president tried to grab the steering wheel of his vehicle before being physically restrained by the head of his security detail.

Legal experts note it is unusual for a grand jury to decline to return an indictment when prosecutors present a case. The development comes amid a string of similar setbacks for federal prosecutors in Washington since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

In recent weeks, prosecutors have also pursued separate criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and two former FBI officials using charging methods other than grand jury indictments, even though the alleged conduct in those cases dates back several years.