Grand jury rejects DOJ case against Cassidy Hutchinson

Cassidy Hutchinson will not face federal charges for allegedly lying to Congress. A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., declined to indict her on Tuesday, ending a probe into her testimony before the House Select Committee on the January 6 attack.

The Justice Department had sought charges related to her account of President Donald Trump’s actions that day. Hutchinson described a story she said she heard secondhand, claiming Trump lunged for the steering wheel of his presidential limousine after his speech on the Ellipse. Trump has vehemently denied that account, and other White House employees did not corroborate that specific detail.

This decision marks another setback for the Justice Department in its handling of cases tied to the Capitol investigation. Former special counsel Jack Smith previously chose not to treat Hutchinson as a material witness in his own indictment of Trump for election interference. Smith determined that much of her testimony relied on hearsay. Trump pleaded not guilty to all Jan. 6 charges, and Smith’s case was later dismissed.

Hutchinson has maintained that she stands by her original testimony. She could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. A Justice Department spokesperson also did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the grand jury’s decision.

The Washington Post first reported the failure to secure an indictment. Sources familiar with the matter confirmed the details to ABC News.