Grand Jury Declines to Indict Former White House Aide Cassidy Hutchinson

Cassidy Hutchinson escaped criminal charges after a grand jury sitting in the capital city turned down the Justice Department's request to indict her over her congressional testimony about the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. The decision was read aloud by senior Justice Department attorney Neville Hadley during a hearing before magistrate judge Zia Faruqui. Two people who asked to stay anonymous confirmed that Hutchinson had been the intended target of the proposed indictment. Her testimony had focused on former President Donald Trump's actions during the violent assault on the Capitol. Grand jurors assess whether the evidence presented by prosecutors is enough to move forward with charges, and in this instance they concluded it was not. With the panel's refusal, no immediate criminal case will proceed against her. The Justice Department has not issued further comment. The development was reported on Tuesday and is being tracked for any new updates.

Context

The outcome shows how a grand jury can halt a prosecutorial push, especially in investigations linked to the Jan. 6 events, by determining that the material presented does not satisfy the legal standard for indictment.