The Justice Department failed to secure a grand jury indictment against former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, according to multiple media reports emerging on Tuesday. A Justice Department attorney informed a magistrate judge that the grand jury was unable to reach an agreement on an indictment during proceedings.
While the prosecutor, identified by the Washington Post as the division’s acting senior litigation counsel Neville S. Hedley, did not publicly name the target of the proposed charges during the court appearance, multiple sources confirmed to news outlets that the proceeding involved Hutchinson. The development represents a notable setback for federal prosecutors pursuing cases stemming from past congressional investigations.
Under regular protocols, investigations into allegations of making false statements to Congress are typically handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., currently led by Jeanine Pirro. However, the investigation into Hutchinson was instead conducted by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, headed by Harmeet Dhillon, marking a departure from standard jurisdictional precedent. Reports indicate that the local U.S. Attorney’s Office has previously faced difficulties securing indictments in similar high-profile matters after evidentiary reviews revealed cases were thinner than initially anticipated.
共和党 lawmakers have maintained sustained criticism of Hutchinson since her high-profile 2022 testimony before the House committee investigating the events of January 6, 2021. During those hearings, Hutchinson provided dramatic accounts of the Trump administration’s internal deliberations leading up to and during the Capitol riot. Her testimony included assertions that she was told former President Trump lunged toward a Secret Service agent after agents declined to drive him to the Capitol, that leadership was aware attendees carried weapons, and that former chief of staff Mark Meadows received warnings regarding potential violence.
Those claims drew immediate pushback from political opponents and key figures involved in the events. Secret Service agents referenced in her testimony subsequently stated they had no recollection of the specific physical altercation described. Earlier this year, Representative Barry Loudermilk of Georgia submitted a formal criminal referral regarding Hutchinson to the Justice Department for review, with House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan of Ohio co-signing the recommendation. Federal officials note that congressional criminal referrals serve as recommendations for review and carry no legal presumption of wrongdoing or automatic charges.
