Grand Jury Declines To Charge Former White House Aide Cassidy Hutchinson

UPDATE - follow-up to Grand jury rejects DOJ bid to indict ex-Trump WH aide Cassidy Hutchinson: Report: Prosecutors from the Justice Department failed to secure criminal charges against a former presidential staff member. ## Legal Decision An investigative panel meeting in the nation's capital turned down a push by government attorneys to charge Cassidy Hutchinson with a crime. Civil Rights Division prosecutors claimed she made false statements during her past statements to lawmakers. Senior government lawyer Neville Hadley shared the panel's choice during an open court appearance before Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui. The panel declined to issue the formal charge without directly naming the former staffer as the target of the inquiry.

Prior Testimony

The inquiry stems from statements the former aide shared in June 2022 before a House panel probing the January 2021 Capitol attack. That riot by supporters of Donald Trump temporarily halted the certification of former President Joe Biden's 2020 election win. During those hearings, the aide described a tense scene inside the presidential vehicle involving security detail head Robert Engel and then-staffer Tony Ornato. According to her testimony, the former president grew angry when told he could not go to the Capitol, lunging toward the front seat and attempting to grab the steering wheel after his security team refused to change route.

Context

Federal prosecutors routinely present evidence to investigative panels when examining potential false statements made during high-profile congressional inquiries. These panels operate in secret and decide whether government attorneys have presented enough evidence to move forward with a criminal trial. Legal experts note that such panels routinely reject charges if they feel the proof does not meet the high bar required for a formal indictment.