After False-Statement Claims, Grand Jury Declines to Bring Charges Against Cassidy Hutchinson

Grand jury does not agree

On Tuesday, a federal prosecutor told a magistrate judge in Washington that the grand jury had reached a “non-concurrence.” The term means a majority of jurors did not agree to indict Hutchinson. An MS NOW reporter witnessed the announcement in court at about 4:30 p.m.

Two people familiar with the case said prosecutors sought to charge Hutchinson over allegations that she made false statements. The sources were granted anonymity to discuss normally closed proceedings. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to MS NOW’s request for comment.

Hutchinson’s Jan. 6 testimony

Hutchinson, 29, worked for Mark Meadows, Donald Trump’s chief of staff during his first term. She appeared before the House Jan. 6 committee in June 2022 and described Trump’s response to the Capitol violence and threats against Vice President Mike Pence.

Disputed account and investigation

Hutchinson did not see the alleged vehicle confrontation herself. She said another White House official told her about it, and Secret Service agents later disputed parts of her account.

Her testimony became a major part of the congressional inquiry into Trump’s efforts to reverse his 2020 election loss. Trump questioned the election before Joe Biden was declared the winner, and Congress confirmed Biden’s victory hours after the Jan. 6 riot, despite Trump’s demands that Pence block certification.

Prosecution efforts face setbacks

Federal prosecutors in the Civil Rights Division recently began presenting evidence to a Washington grand jury to assess whether Hutchinson lied to Congress. The division’s role in a case involving alleged false congressional testimony is unusual, and prosecutors reportedly considered perjury and obstruction-of-justice charges.