US Justice Department Weighs Perjury Charges Against Cassidy Hutchinson
US federal prosecutors are considering perjury and obstruction charges against Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide who testified about Donald Trump over the January 6 Capitol riot. An indictment is not expected before the midterm elections.
US Justice Department prosecutors are weighing a perjury and obstruction of justice case against Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Trump's White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Four years ago she gave testimony implicating President Donald Trump to the congressional committee that investigated the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Wired reports this, citing two sources familiar with the matter, who say prosecutors are not expected to ask a federal grand jury in Washington for an indictment until after the midterm elections at the earliest.
What Hutchinson testified
Hutchinson was a star witness for the committee. She said Trump encouraged supporters to march to the Capitol despite knowing many were armed. She also recounted hearing that Trump lunged at a Secret Service agent after being told he could not join his supporters there.
What prosecutors are focusing on
The sources say that in recent months prosecutors have noted that former special counsel Jack Smith did not corroborate much of Hutchinson's account, and that the Secret Service denied any altercation in the presidential limousine. By comparing transcripts of her committee interviews with her testimony to Smith's team, prosecutors are trying to build a case around how her account changed. They are also interested in her claim that she wrote a statement on a notecard for Trump to release during the riot. Former White House counsel Eric Herschmann disputes this and says he wrote the note.
Doubts and unusual handling
Some Justice officials doubt a viable case exists, partly because perjury is hard to prove. Former US Attorney Joyce Vance told Wired prosecutors would have to show beyond a reasonable doubt that Hutchinson lied, did so knowingly, and materially affected the investigation.
The probe became a priority after a criminal referral from Representative Barry Loudermilk, a Georgia Republican. In an unorthodox move, it was assigned to the Civil Rights Division, led by Harmeet Dhillon, rather than the US Attorney for the District of Columbia or the Criminal Division. The Justice Department did not comment, and Hutchinson and her lawyer did not respond.
