DOJ fails to get indictment against former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson: Sources

The Justice Department's efforts to secure an indictment against former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson for lying to Congress regarding her testimony on the Jan. 6 Capitol attack have been thwarted, according to sources. The federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. declined to issue an indictment, sources familiar with the case confirmed to ABC News.

This latest setback is seen as part of the ongoing controversy surrounding Trump's support for what critics label as a retribution campaign following Hutchinson's testimony before the House Select Committee. Republicans have sought to challenge Hutchinson's account, particularly her assertion that Trump lunged for the steering wheel of the presidential limo post-Capitol breach, a claim Trump has denied and with which other White House employees did not corroborate.

Former special counsel Jack Smith, who had pursued charges against Trump for inciting the Capitol riot, opted not to treat Hutchinson as a material witness, citing a reliance on hearsay in her statements. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges related to Jan. 6, but Smith's case against him was ultimately dismissed. Hutchinson has continued to maintain her testimony's integrity.

No immediate response was available from a Justice Department spokesperson regarding the non-indictment.