According to two people familiar with the situation, Justice Department prosecutors attempted on Tuesday to obtain a grand jury indictment of former White House assistant Cassidy Hutchinson for her testimony regarding President Donald Trump's involvement in the US Capitol disturbance on January 6, 2021, but were unsuccessful.

For the special House committee looking into the incident, Hutchison was a crucial witness. In her dramatic testimony from 2022, she accused Trump of knowing that there could be bloodshed that day, yet he still decided to give a speech encouraging his followers to march to the Capitol.

Requests for comment from Hutchinson's attorneys were not answered.

A Justice Department lawyer informed a judge during a brief court appearance on Tuesday that the grand jury submitted a "non-concurrence," which means the panel rejected the indictment the DOJ requested.

Although the prosecutor did not specifically name a defendant, those with knowledge of the case verified that he was referring to Hutchinson.

One of the president's alleged political rivals is the object of this protracted case. Hutchinson's testimony infuriated Trump, and Republicans and the president's friends have frequently stated that they think she should face perjury charges.

Grand juries seldom reject charges, especially since prosecutors only need to prove that there was probable cause that a crime was committed. However, since Trump took office, grand juries have refused to file charges in a number of cases, including a single charge against former FBI Director James Comey and full indictments against New York Attorney General Letitia James and six lawmakers who encouraged military personnel to defy unlawful orders.

According to those familiar with the situation who spoke to CNN, Hutchinson's possible indictment became a contentious issue between lawmakers and Justice Department staff. There was insufficient evidence, according to some in the department, to make a strong criminal case.

Additionally, lawmakers from both parties have urged the department to drop its inquiry. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a Republican, described the situation as "lawfare" orchestrated by the president.

Hutchinson, a former assistant to Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff at the time, told the committee that Trump became enraged when he learned that his supporters, who had been spotted carrying weapons that day, including knives and guns, had been detained at security checks. Hutchinson claimed to have heard Trump remark something along the lines of, "I don't effing care that they have weapons." They have no intention of harming me. Remove the effing mags. Allow my people to enter.

She also described what she believed to be Trump's attempts to push his motorcade in the direction of the Capitol, a claim that several people who were with the president that day have refuted.

In a closed-door interview earlier this year, former special counsel Jack Smith, who looked into the January 6 attack, told members of Congress that Hutchinson wasn't a strong witness in the investigation since many of her accounts were second-hand.

Hutchinson further stated that Tony Ornato, the deputy chief of staff at the White House at the time, informed her that Trump had attacked a member of the Secret Service after being informed that he was unable to visit the Capitol after his address that day.

This account has been refuted by Ornato and others.