India, Oct. 9 -- The US Department of Justice has escalated its scrutiny of former high-profile congressional witnesses by pursuing a criminal indictment against Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.

According to investigative reporting published by Punchbowl News, federal prosecutors assigned to the Civil Rights Division presented preliminary evidence and witness testimony before a federal grand jury, alleging that Hutchinson provided false statements during her landmark appearances before the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack.

The move marks a dramatic pivot for an agency division typically tasked with statutory civil rights enforcement, thrusting a central figure...