Justice Department fails to indict former White House aide who testified about Trump and Jan. 6, sources say

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images/File

Justice Department prosecutors on Tuesday tried and failed to secure a grand jury indictment of former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson , who had testified about President Donald Trump’s role in the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Hutchison was a key witness for the special House committee that investigated the events of January 6, 2021. Her explosive 2022 testimony implicated the president in the violence of the day, saying that Trump was aware of the potential for violence on January 6, but still chose to move ahead with his speech directing them to the Capitol building.

The long-running case has become a point of controversy between lawmakers and employees of the Justice Department, sources familiar with the matter have told CNN. Some inside the department believed that there was not enough evidence to bring a viable criminal case against her, and worried that it would be seen as a problematic way to target another of Trump’s perceived enemies.

Exclusive: GOP lawmakers push for charges against former White House aide for Jan. 6 testimony

Lawmakers across the aisle have also called on the department to abandon their investigation, including Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who called the matter an act of “lawfare” directed by the president.

Hutchinson, a former aide to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, told the committee that Trump grew angry upon hearing supporters that day were seen with weapons including guns and knives and had been stopped at security check points. Hutchinson said she heard Trump say something similar to, “I don’t effing care that they have weapons. They’re not here to hurt me. Take the effing mags away. Let my people in.”

She also detailed what she heard were Trump’s efforts to force his motorcade toward the Capitol — an account that has been disputed by others who were with the president that day.

Former special counsel Jack Smith, who investigated the January 6 attack, told members of Congress in a closed-door interview earlier this year that Hutchinson wasn’t a powerful witness in the investigation, in part because many of her stories were secondhand.

Hutchinson also claimed then-White House deputy chief of staff Tony Ornato told her Trump lunged at a Secret Service member when he was told he couldn’t go to the Capitol following his speech that day.

Ornato and others have denied this account.

This story is developing and will be updated.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images/文件

据两位知情人士透露，司法部检察官周二试图获得大陪审团对前白宫助理卡西迪·哈钦森的起诉，但未能成功。哈钦森曾就唐纳德·特朗普总统在 2021 年 1 月 6 日美国国会大厦骚乱中的角色作证。

哈奇森是众议院特别委员会调查 2021 年 1 月 6 日事件的关键证人。她在 2022 年的爆炸性证词将总统牵涉到当天的暴力事件中，称特朗普意识到 1 月 6 日可能发生暴力事件，但仍然选择继续发表讲话，并指示民众前往国会大厦。

据知情人士向CNN透露，这起旷日持久的案件已成为国会议员和司法部雇员之间的争议焦点。司法部内部一些人士认为，没有足够的证据对她提起有效的刑事诉讼，并担心此举会被视为打击特朗普另一位眼中“敌人”的棘手手段。

独家报道：共和党议员力推对前白宫助理提起诉讼，要求其就1月6日的证词提出指控

包括共和党参议员比尔·卡西迪在内的各党派议员都呼吁司法部放弃调查，卡西迪称此事是总统指示的“法律战”。

曾任白宫幕僚长马克·梅多斯助手的哈钦森告诉委员会，当天特朗普得知支持者携带枪支、刀具等武器并在安检点被拦下后勃然大怒。哈钦森说，她听到特朗普说了类似这样的话：“我他妈的才不在乎他们带武器。他们又不是来伤害我的。把弹匣都拿走。放我的人进去。”

她还详细描述了她听到的特朗普试图强迫他的车队前往国会大厦的举动——这一说法遭到了当天与总统在一起的其他人的否认。

曾调查 1 月 6 日袭击事件的前特别检察官杰克·史密斯今年早些时候在一次闭门会议上告诉国会议员，哈钦森在调查中并不是一个有影响力的证人，部分原因是她的许多证词都是二手资料。

哈钦森还声称，时任白宫副幕僚长托尼·奥尔纳托告诉她，特朗普在当天演讲结束后被告知不能前往国会大厦时，扑向了一名特勤局成员。

奥尔纳托和其他人否认了这种说法。

此事件仍在发展中，我们将持续更新报道。