The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has reportedly commenced an inquiry into Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide, concerning statements she delivered during congressional hearings about the events of January 6, 2021. The New York Times reported that the department has assigned its civil rights division to oversee the matter, with division chief Harmeet Dhillon leading the effort. This reported investigation stems from a referral submitted by a congressional ally of President Donald Trump, who alleged that Hutchinson provided false testimony to the House committee that examined the Capitol events.
Hutchinson, who previously served under Mark Meadows in the Trump White House, gained national attention for her televised testimony in June 2022 before the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack. During her appearances, she described what she characterized as conversations and accounts involving President Trump’s actions on that day. Among her most impactful assertions, Hutchinson stated that President Trump had encouraged the crowd gathered near the White House on January 6 to march to the Capitol, even though he allegedly knew they were armed and could become violent.
She also relayed claims about an alleged incident inside a presidential vehicle involving President Trump and a Secret Service agent. Hutchinson testified that she had heard President Trump lunged at one of his Secret Service agents in a presidential limousine when he was informed he could not join his supporters on Capitol Hill. This specific assertion was later contradicted by other testimony. President Trump publicly disputed Hutchinson's account at the time, issuing a statement on social media. "Her fake story that I tried to grab the steering wheel of the White House Limousine in order to steer it to the Capitol Building is ‘sick’ and fraudulent, very much like the Unselect Committee itself — Wouldn’t have even been possible to do such a ridiculous thing," President Trump wrote.
Testimony from a Secret Service driver subsequently challenged Hutchinson’s description of the incident. The driver reportedly told investigators that he "did not see him reach [redacted]. [President Trump] never grabbed the steering wheel. I didn’t see him, you know, lunge to try to get into the front seat at all." President Trump also rejected additional claims attributed to Hutchinson regarding conduct inside the White House, stating in another post, "Her story of me throwing food is also false … and why would SHE have to clean it up, I hardly knew who she was."
During her appearances before the House committee, Hutchinson also answered questions from lawmakers, including Liz Cheney, who served in a leadership role on the panel. In one exchange, Hutchinson described incidents involving Meadows’ behavior, testifying, "There were several times throughout my tenure with the chief of staff where I was aware of either him throwing dishes or flipping the tablecloth to let all the contents of the table go onto the floor."
More recently, a House oversight subcommittee, chaired by Representative Barry Loudermilk, released communications between Cheney and Hutchinson from 2022. The subcommittee indicated that the two had been in contact directly and through Alyssa Farah Griffin while Hutchinson was still represented by her initial attorney, Stefan Passantino. The subcommittee reported that Hutchinson participated in six recorded interviews with the committee, with Passantino present during the first three. Following these initial interviews, Hutchinson reportedly began communicating with Cheney independently using an encrypted messaging platform.
According to the subcommittee's findings, Hutchinson later dismissed her attorney and retained new legal representation that had been recommended by Cheney. The new attorneys reportedly agreed to represent her without charge. Following this change in counsel, Hutchinson appeared for three additional rounds of testimony. Representative Loudermilk subsequently alleged that her statements evolved after this transition, pointing to what he described as reliance on indirect information. "Cheney’s influence on Hutchinson is apparent from that point forward by her dramatic change in testimony and eventual claims against President Trump using second- and third-hand accounts," Loudermilk said.
A report issued by the subcommittee in December 2024 disputed several elements of Hutchinson’s testimony. According to the report, there was no evidence that President Trump physically confronted Secret Service personnel or had prior knowledge of impending violence at the Capitol that morning. The subcommittee also reviewed a handwritten note that had been introduced during the hearings. It concluded that Hutchinson’s claim of authorship was not supported, citing analysis from a handwriting expert indicating the document was written by someone else. The report stated that the note had been presented to support claims regarding President Trump’s response during the unfolding events.
The Justice Department has not publicly released additional details regarding the reported investigation or its potential timeline. The inquiry underscores the ongoing scrutiny of events surrounding January 6, 2021, and the testimonies provided in subsequent investigations.
