Justice Department Seeks Criminal Indictment of Former Trump Aide Cassidy Hutchinson Over Jan. 6 Testimony

• by Shimanta Das
• October 11, 2026

The Department of Justice is reportedly seeking a criminal indictment against Cassidy Hutchinson, the former White House aide whose dramatic testimony before the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol made her a central figure in the congressional probe. According to a person familiar with the matter, prosecutors in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division have convened a federal grand jury as they pursue charges that Hutchinson lied to Congress. The division is led by Harmeet Dhillon, a former Trump campaign lawyer and Republican Party official.

Hutchinson, who served as a top aide to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, became a key witness in the investigation. Her explosive testimony in 2022 included accounts of President Donald Trump’s behavior on January 6, including that he attempted to grab the steering wheel of his presidential vehicle and lunged at a Secret Service agent when told he could not join supporters at the Capitol. However, those accounts were later disputed by Secret Service witnesses, casting doubt on some of her most dramatic claims. That scrutiny has now escalated into a criminal inquiry.

The move to seek an indictment marks a significant escalation in the ongoing legal battles stemming from the January 6 investigation. The Civil Rights Division’s involvement is notable, as it typically handles cases involving civil rights violations rather than allegations of lying to Congress. The grand jury proceedings suggest that prosecutors believe they have sufficient evidence to pursue charges. Hutchinson has not been publicly charged, and it remains unclear what specific false statements she is accused of making.

Hutchinson’s testimony was a major part of the congressional investigation into the Capitol attack, and her credibility became a focal point after the Secret Service disputes. The Justice Department’s pursuit of an indictment underscores the continuing fallout from the January 6 probe and the legal risks faced by those who testified. As the case develops, it will likely reignite debates over the reliability of witness accounts and the politicization of the Justice Department. For now, Hutchinson remains a central figure in one of the most consequential investigations in recent American history.