Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are now calling for U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros to resign over the botched “Broadview Six” case, describing his tenure as Chicago’s top federal prosecutor as chaotic.
“Andrew Boutros’s time as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois has been riddled with chaos, deep internal dysfunction, and alleged misconduct,” the senators said in a statement on Tuesday. “He must resign, and there must be an open, transparent, and nonpartisan search to nominate the next U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.”
The call from Illinois’ Democratic senators is significant given their traditional role in selecting Chicago’s top federal prosecutor. It comes nearly two weeks after the prosecution of a group of Operation Midway Blitz protesters known as the “Broadview Six” collapsed amid claims of misconduct by Boutros’ prosecutors.
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The “Broadview Six” case revolved around a September protest outside a suburban immigration facility, where a crowd pushed, scratched and otherwise damaged a federal agent’s SUV. From that crowd, prosecutors charged only six people, all largely involved in local Democratic politics, raising questions about selective prosecution and freedom of expression.
A judge has since revealed a series of improper actions allegedly taken by prosecutors while seeking an indictment in the case. U.S. District Judge April Perry said a prosecutor improperly put her credibility on the line to support the criminal charges. The judge said there were “substantive” communications with grand jurors outside the grand jury room. And she said a prosecutor excused grand jurors who didn’t agree with the case.
Worst of all, she said, it appeared prosecutors tried to hide what happened from her by redacting it from a set of transcripts.
A spokesman for Boutros did not immediately comment Tuesday.
The senators’ calls for Boutros’ resignation comes as acting Attorney General Todd Blanche plans to testify before a House Appropriations subcommittee in Washington on Tuesday afternoon.
The Illinois senators join Democratic Senate nominee Juliana Stratton and 9th Congressional District candidate Daniel Biss in calling for Boutros to resign following the dismissal of charges against the remaining members of the “Broadview Six” last month.
Stratton, Illinois’ lieutenant governor and a Democratic Senate nominee, last week told the Sun-Times Boutros had undermined the credibility of his office and should resign or be fired.
“As the Trump administration repeatedly attempts to use the justice system as a means of political retaliation, it’s more important than ever that professional standards are followed and the public can trust the charges and conduct coming from the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Stratton said in a statement.