Grand jury declines to indict former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson, star witness of Jan. 6 committee

A federal grand jury Tuesday declined to indict Cassidy Hutchinson — the former White House aide turned star witness against President Donald Trump — on criminal charges, a senior U.S. official confirmed to NBC News.

Prosecutors were attempting to indict Hutchinson for statements she made about Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021.

The grand jury in Washington returned a “no bill,” meaning the grand jury rejected efforts by the Justice Department to indict Hutchinson. Her name was not mentioned in the courtroom when the no bill was announced, but the senior U.S. official confirmed it was the Hutchinson case.

Attorneys for Hutchinson did not immediately return requests for comment, nor did the Justice Department.

The Justice Department’s investigation had centered on Hutchinson’s 2022 testimony before the now-defunct Democratic-led congressional Jan. 6 committee, which Trump railed against for years.

The failure to secure an indictment is the latest in a string of such denials in cases the Justice Department has brought against those Trump has portrayed as his political enemies.

The Hutchinson case was brought by officials in the Civil Rights Division, which is headed by Trump appointee Harmeet Dhillon. The division has traditionally sought to protect constitutional freedoms by enforcing…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business