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Justice Department fails to indict former White House aide over her testimony about Trump and Jan. 6, sources say
CNN • • general
Key Points:
- Justice Department prosecutors failed to secure a grand jury indictment against former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson regarding her testimony on President Trump's role in the January 6 Capitol riot.
- Hutchinson's 2022 testimony before the House committee implicated Trump in the violence, alleging he was aware of potential violence but still directed supporters to the Capitol.
- Some Justice Department officials doubted the strength of the evidence against Hutchinson and worried about perceptions of targeting a Trump ally, while bipartisan lawmakers urged the department to drop the investigation.
- Hutchinson claimed Trump disregarded concerns about armed supporters and attempted to force his motorcade toward the Capitol, though these accounts have been disputed by others present that day.
- Former special counsel Jack Smith noted Hutchinson was not a strong witness due to many of her stories being secondhand, and key figures like Tony Ornato have denied parts of her testimony.
