The Department of Justice is reportedly investigating Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide whose testimony before the House Select Committee linked President Donald Trump to the violence during the Capitol riot in 2021.
The claim that the DOJ is investigating Hutchinson comes from four unnamed sources familiar with the matter speaking with The New York Times.
In March, Congressman Barry Loudermilk, who is leading the House Republicans’ January 6 committee, made a criminal referral for Hutchinson to the DOJ, according to CNN. He has accused Hutchinson of lying to Congress when she testified that Trump knew his supporters were likely to commit acts of violence at the Capitol.
The investigation into Hutchinson will be carried out by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, which typically focuses on civil rights abuses such as misconduct in law enforcement and racial discrimination, according to the NYT.
The report comes less than a week after Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi, whom he reportedly complained had been slow to prosecute his enemies.
Bondi’s former deputy, Todd Blanche, is now acting head of the DOJ.
Blanche said on Tuesday that Trump had both the “right” and the “duty” to call for investigations into whomever he thinks deserves investigation.
The DOJ investigation into Hutchinson is said to have started several weeks ago.
During her testimony before Congress in June 2022, Hutchinson said Trump encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol even though he knew it could become violent.
She also recounted a story she was told about Trump lunging at one of his Secret Service agents in his presidential limo when he was told he would not be allowed to travel to the Capitol himself. Later testimony called that account into question.
It’s not clear why the Civil Rights Division, led by Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, is reportedly spearheading the investigation. Generally, an investigation into whether or not someone perjured themselves before Congress would be handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, would have been the one to handle the Hutchinson investigation had her office not been passed over.
In February, prosecutors under Pirro’s leadership were tasked with indicting six Democratic lawmakers who participated in a video encouraging military and intelligence officials to disobey illegal orders. The prosecutors failed to secure the indictments.
Around the same time, her office also failed to build a case against former President Joe Biden and his staff over his alleged use of an autopen while signing presidential documents.
