A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., declined to indict Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide, on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. The Justice Department had sought criminal charges against Hutchinson related to statements she made regarding the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The investigation into Hutchinson was led by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, which is headed by Harmeet Dhillon. During a hearing on a separate matter on Tuesday, Justice Department litigator Neville Hedley informed U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui that the grand jury had returned a "no bill." While Hedley did not name the subject in court, a senior U.S. official and multiple sources briefed on the proceedings confirmed the case involved Hutchinson.
Hutchinson served as a senior aide to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. She became a witness during 2022 testimony before the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot. During those proceedings, she testified that President Donald Trump was informed that some supporters were armed but told officials to remove magnetometers at his rally. She also relayed a secondhand account that Trump lunged for the steering wheel of his vehicle and for the throat of a bodyguard when the Secret Service refused to take him to the Capitol, an account later disputed in sworn testimony by Trump’s driver.
The referral for prosecution reportedly originated from House Republican allies of the president, who accused Hutchinson of lying under oath. Trump has publicly characterized Hutchinson as a "scam artist" and suggested she should be prosecuted. Attorneys for Hutchinson and representatives for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the grand jury's decision.
For the individuals involved, such as Hutchinson, this decision removes the immediate threat of criminal prosecution. However, because a "no bill" does not bar the Justice Department from attempting to charge Hutchinson again in the future if new evidence is presented or if prosecutors choose to bring the case before a different grand jury.
The decision also follows a series of instances where grand juries have declined to move forward with prosecutions against figures the Justice Department has brought cases against whom Trump has portrayed as political enemies. The immediate next steps are not confirmed, as the Justice Department has not announced whether it will drop the investigation entirely or seek a new indictment. No future court dates or deadlines have been set at this time.