More than 100 former federal prosecutors who served in Chicago and Rockford delivered an extraordinary rebuke of U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros on Monday, concluding there’s been a “failure of leadership” in an office with “a renowned history of excellence pursuing justice.”
The 111 signatories include individuals identifying as Democrats, Republicans and independents — all now acting as private citizens. They pointed to an exodus of leadership from Boutros’ office, grand jury irregularities, an unusual number of collapsed cases and a breach of trust with judges.
“These matters raise questions about whether there is a failure of leadership in the office we deeply respect and whether once-forbidden political considerations are infecting prosecutorial decisions,” they wrote. “The answer to both questions, in our view, is yes.”
It’s the latest in a string of highly unusual developments following the collapse of the so-called “Broadview Six” case over apparent prosecutorial misconduct during grand jury proceedings. Boutros’ office initially secured a conspiracy indictment against six Operation Midway Blitz protesters, but the case was later pared down to misdemeanor charges against four of them.
In a statement last week, Boutros accused unnamed individuals of having “capitalized on the opportunity to attempt to destabilize the office, distract us from our mission, and wreak discord among our once-united [federal prosecutor] and law enforcement community under the guise that they love or even really care about this incredible and storied office.”
Now, the two statements combined seem to reveal a level of tension not seen in recent memory between Chicago’s top federal prosecutor — who leads the U.S. attorney’s office — and the community of former prosecutors who once served there.
It’s all part of the continued fallout from Midway Blitz, the unprecedented Trump administration deportation campaign that pummeled Chicago last fall. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Boutros to his job on a temporary basis in April 2025. The following summer, Chicago’s federal judges picked Boutros to continue in the role on a more permanent basis.
“For decades, our former office earned a reputation for winning significant cases while playing by the rules,” the former prosecutors wrote Monday. “We hope that the next few months will provide an opportunity to begin an effort to restore this reputation. That, however, will require candor from U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros; the courage to stand above and apart from political fealty; and a willingness to address the failures that have occurred.
“It will require action, not mere words.”
They began their statement by quoting U.S. District Judge April Perry, who presides over the “Broadview Six” case. A former federal prosecutor in Chicago herself, she told Boutros’ team May 21 that, “your sole goal is to do justice. Your client is justice itself.”
The statement goes on to identify four areas of concern, starting with “the departure of many senior, experienced leaders and prosecutors in the office.” Most department heads have left since Boutros arrived.
“Turnover always occurs,” the former prosecutors wrote, “but the volume of veteran prosecutors leaving the office over the last year is extraordinary. The challenge is exacerbated by the hiring of new [federal prosecutors] who require time to fully grow into their jobs but will be without an abundance of valuable mentors.”
Boutros has said that “some people left because I told them I was going to demote them. Some people left because they came into my office and they said that they strongly dislike this administration and cannot work for this administration.”
Second, the former prosecutors pointed to Boutros’ appearance before the grand jury panel that handed up the indictment against the “Broadview Six” later that same day. Boutros released his remarks to the grand jurors in an unusual special report last week.
Boutros told panel members they are the “conscience of the community” and encouraged them to listen to the evidence. He also said, “if there’s anyone here who is struggling with a certain type of cases, such as the immigration cases or other cases … I would ask that you raise your hand.”
The former prosecutors called that an “extraordinary step” — noting that Boutros’ request that grand jurors raise their hand came after the panel had already once rejected the “Broadview Six” case.
“The message he delivered effectively signaled that the head of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is unhappy with us and we did something wrong,” the former prosecutors wrote. “That message is inappropriate.”
Next, the group pointed to the poor conviction rate for prosecutions tied to Midway Blitz. Of 33 known defendants in such cases, only two have pleaded guilty. Twenty-four people have been cleared, and five others have struck deals putting their charges on track for dismissal.
Grand jurors rejected criminal charges against at least three of those defendants. That’s in addition to their initial rejection of the “Broadview Six” case.
“The pattern and timing of charging decisions, public rhetoric surrounding the operation, and the extraordinary collapse rate of these prosecutions raise at least the appearance that improper considerations supplanted the office’s historical exercise of prosecutorial discretion free from political influence,” the former prosecutors wrote.
Boutros has said the office’s traditional protocols didn’t work because “we were dealing with an out-of-town group” of hundreds of law enforcement agents in an unprecedented situation.
Finally, the former prosecutors pointed to a breach of trust with judges. It’s a likely reference to the apparent effort to redact misconduct out of grand jury transcripts given to Perry by the feds. The judge told Boutros’ team last month that “trust has been broken.”
“When judges increasingly call into question the motivation or candor of prosecutors and agents, that is a sure sign the standard has been compromised,” the former prosecutors wrote. “The abuse of trust is devastating and reversing that tide must be a top priority of the office’s leadership.”