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  "path": "/crime/2026/06/27/broadview-six-boutros-chicago",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-27T10:30:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://chicago.suntimes.com",
  "textContent": "<p>U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros’ office is in turmoil after<b> </b>the<b> </b>failed<b> </b>indictment<b> </b>of six protesters<b> </b>who opposed the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation campaign in the Chicago area.</p><p>The case was widely viewed as a political prosecution, and the revelations of prosecutorial misconduct <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/05/21/broadview-ice-protest-grand-jury-transcript-kat-abughazaleh-trump\" target=\"_blank\" >that prompted its dismissal</a> have created a credibility crisis<b> </b>in Boutros’ office unlike any faced by his recent predecessors.</p><p>More cases are now collapsing,<b> </b>judges want answers, and defense attorneys are calling for an investigation<b> </b>— and <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/06/17/broadview-6-want-special-counsel-to-probe-boutros-office-trumps-justice-department-for-criminal-contempt\" target=\"_blank\" >possible prosecution</a> — of Boutros, Chicago’s top federal law enforcement official.</p><p>Federal prosecutors in Chicago are better known for taking on violent street gangs, potential terrorists and corrupt politicians of all stripes. In 20 years, they put two governors in prison,<b> </b>as well as a <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/2016/4/27/18346924/dennis-hastert-serial-child-molester-gets-15-months-in-prison\" target=\"_blank\" >former U.S. House speaker</a> who served two heartbeats away from the presidency.</p><p>But the “Broadview Six” scandal is now threatening to do long-term damage to what’s perhaps the most highly regarded law enforcement agency in the city.</p><p>A federal judge summed it up this way: “Trust has been broken.”</p><p>The scandal revolves around a growing list of key players and obscure legal concepts. So here’s where things stand, one month after the “Broadview Six” case fell apart:</p><h3><b>What happened in the ‘Broadview Six’ case?</b></h3><p>Boutros’ office secured<b> </b><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/10/29/kat-abughazaleh-conspiracy-indictment-broadview-protests-donald-trump-deportation-campaign\" target=\"_blank\" >a<b> </b>grand<b> </b>jury<b> </b>indictment</a><b> </b>in October accusing<b> </b>the<b> </b>“Broadview Six”<b> </b>of a conspiracy to<b> </b>impede<b> </b>a federal agent. The case revolved around a protest<b> </b>outside an immigration holding facility<b> </b>in west suburban Broadview<b> </b>in September — at the height of Operation Midway Blitz, the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign.</p><p>Prosecutors alleged that a crowd pushed<b> </b>and<b> </b>damaged<b> </b>the federal agent’s SUV. But from that crowd, only the six were charged. Most of them were involved in local Democratic politics.</p><p>The defendants were then-congressional candidate Kat<b> </b>Abughazaleh, Oak Park village trustee Brian Straw, then-Cook County Board candidate Catherine “Cat” Sharp, 45th Ward Democratic committeeperson Michael Rabbitt, musician<b> </b>Joselyn Walsh and<b> </b>Abughazaleh<b> </b>campaign<b> </b>worker<b> </b>Andre Martin.</p><p>U.S. District Judge April<b> </b>Perry, a former federal prosecutor, was assigned to the case.</p><div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center> <div class=\"Enhancement-item\" data-crop=\"\"> <figure class=\"Figure\"><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"image-5b0000\" name=\"image-5b0000\"></a> <picture data-crop=\"medium\"> <source type=\"image/webp\" width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fdd921e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F04%2F9b%2F9ffafc1d4712ac8ab25bafe5def6%2Fb6.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dfcdcbf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F04%2F9b%2F9ffafc1d4712ac8ab25bafe5def6%2Fb6.jpg 2x\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <source width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5b54bb1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F04%2F9b%2F9ffafc1d4712ac8ab25bafe5def6%2Fb6.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <img class=\"Image\" alt=\"B6.jpg\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5b54bb1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F04%2F9b%2F9ffafc1d4712ac8ab25bafe5def6%2Fb6.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b74e897/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F04%2F9b%2F9ffafc1d4712ac8ab25bafe5def6%2Fb6.jpg 2x\" width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5b54bb1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F04%2F9b%2F9ffafc1d4712ac8ab25bafe5def6%2Fb6.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" src=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" > </picture> <div class=\"Figure-content\"><figcaption class=\"Figure-caption\"><p>A crowd surrounds a federal agent’s vehicle on Sept. 26 outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview.</p></figcaption><span class=\"line\"></span><div class=\"Figure-credit\"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Boutros’ office <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/03/12/chicago-midway-blitz-immigration-trump-kat-abughazaleh-sharp-joselyn-walsh-broadview-six\" target=\"_blank\" >dropped charges</a> against<b> </b>Walsh<b> </b>and<b> </b>Sharp<b> </b>in March. Prosecutors also announced plans to<b> </b>narrow<b> </b>the conspiracy charge in the case. The latter move raised suspicions of defense attorneys, who wanted Perry to help make sure grand jurors were properly instructed on the law.</p><p><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/05/18/department-of-justice-doj-federal-court-chicago-no-bill-grand-jury\" target=\"_blank\" >Grand juries</a> are generally made up of 16 to 23 people. They meet in secret and hear only from prosecutors and their witnesses before deciding whether to hand up indictments.</p><p>Prosecutors<b> </b>gave the judge redacted<b> </b>transcripts<b> </b>from the grand jury proceedings. Then, when Perry asked for unredacted copies, the feds announced plans to <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/04/29/broadview-ice-crime-chicago-trump-kat-abughezaleh\" target=\"_blank\" >drop the grand jury indictment</a> entirely, opting instead to take the four remaining defendants to trial on misdemeanors.</p><p>Perry initially concluded she no longer needed to read the grand jury transcripts. But defense attorneys kept asking her to take a look. She agreed to do so on May 18, speculating that the redactions were probably “IT issues.”</p><p><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/05/20/broadview-ice-protest-april-perry-kat-abughazaleh-trump\" target=\"_blank\" >Two days later</a>, she demanded that anyone from Boutros’ office involved in the redactions appear in her courtroom on May 21. Though the hearing initially took place under seal, a transcript was later made public.</p><p>The judge told the attorneys, <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/05/21/broadview-ice-protest-grand-jury-transcript-kat-abughazaleh-trump\" target=\"_blank\" >“I was incredibly shocked.”</a></p><h3><b>What did prosecutors do wrong?</b></h3><p>Perry said the unredacted transcripts revealed three types of wrongdoing before the grand jury. The proceedings were led by longtime<b> </b>Assistant U.S. Attorney <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/06/23/broadview-six-boutros-mecklenburg-loretto-hospital\" target=\"_blank\" >Sheri<b> </b>Mecklenburg</a>.</p><p>The first category of wrongdoing is known as “vouching.” It’s considered improper, and it occurs when prosecutors put their personal credibility on the line to support criminal charges. But grand jurors are expected to hand up indictments based on evidence, not the goodwill of a prosecutor.</p><p>As an example, Mecklenburg told the grand jury, “I don’t charge people unless I’m absolutely sure.”</p><p>Second, grand jurors<b> </b>who disagreed with the feds’ case were excused from the deliberations, Perry said. The transcripts, which have <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/06/09/broadview-six-grand-jury-midway-blitz-boutros-trump\" target=\"_blank\" >now been made public</a>, show Mecklenburg<b> </b>excused a grand juror who called the case a<b> </b>“crock of s---.”</p><p>Federal rules of criminal procedure<b> </b>only empower “the court”<b> </b>to excuse a grand juror. In Chicago, that would be U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia Kendall.</p><div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center> <div class=\"Enhancement-item\" data-crop=\"\"> <figure class=\"Figure\"><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"image-b20000\" name=\"image-b20000\"></a> <picture data-crop=\"medium\"> <source type=\"image/webp\" width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/38adb1a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1680x943+0+107/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5e%2Fce%2F4abeb9374f138aa7ef56847ed5af%2Fmecklenburgnytimes.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/225c73d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1680x943+0+107/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5e%2Fce%2F4abeb9374f138aa7ef56847ed5af%2Fmecklenburgnytimes.jpeg 2x\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <source width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/faa873a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1680x943+0+107/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5e%2Fce%2F4abeb9374f138aa7ef56847ed5af%2Fmecklenburgnytimes.jpeg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <img class=\"Image\" alt=\"MecklenburgNYTimes.jpeg\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/faa873a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1680x943+0+107/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5e%2Fce%2F4abeb9374f138aa7ef56847ed5af%2Fmecklenburgnytimes.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4642afb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1680x943+0+107/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5e%2Fce%2F4abeb9374f138aa7ef56847ed5af%2Fmecklenburgnytimes.jpeg 2x\" width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/faa873a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1680x943+0+107/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5e%2Fce%2F4abeb9374f138aa7ef56847ed5af%2Fmecklenburgnytimes.jpeg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" src=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" > </picture> <div class=\"Figure-content\"><figcaption class=\"Figure-caption\"><p>Sheri Mecklenburg is seen through the two-way mirror of the lineup room at a Chicago police station in April 2006.</p></figcaption><span class=\"line\"></span><div class=\"Figure-credit\"><p>Sally Ryan for The New York Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Finally, Mecklenburg<b> </b>acknowledged<b> </b>she’d had conversations with grand jurors outside the grand jury room, records show.</p><p>Perry also mentioned a fourth concern: The alleged misconduct had been redacted out of the transcripts initially given to her by the feds. She called that “the most problematic”<b> </b>issue of all.</p><p>Mecklenburg<b> </b>left the U.S. attorney’s office in February for a temporary detail with the Senate Judiciary Committee. The redacted transcripts were given to Perry two months later. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Hogan, another prosecutor on the case, took responsibility for the redactions. But questions remain about what role others played.</p><p>Perry<b> </b>told prosecutors she’d long believed in the “presumption of regularity.”<b> </b>It’s a legal principle that assumes federal officials are acting in good faith.</p><p>“That trust has been broken,” Perry told them.</p><p>That same day, she<b> </b>granted<b> </b>a motion from Boutros<b> </b>to<b> </b>permanently<b> </b>dismiss<b> </b>all remaining charges against the “Broadview Six.”</p><h3><b>How has the scandal grown?</b></h3><p>The revelations led Boutros’ office and others to begin looking into other Mecklenburg prosecutions. Allegations of similar misconduct quickly surfaced.</p><p>Mecklenburg’s most notable cases, aside from “Broadview Six,” include a pair of fraud prosecutions aimed at former Loretto Hospital chief financial officer Anosh<b> </b>Ahmed.</p><p>Ahmed is in custody in Serbia and fighting extradition<b> </b>to the United States. But two of his co-defendants quickly raised similar concerns about Mecklenburg. They pointed to the “Broadview Six” case and said their charges should be dropped, as well.</p><p>Boutros’ office did not immediately agree to it. But then, U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/06/10/hearing-in-loretto-hospital-case-could-address-claims-of-prosecutors-misconduct-if-feds-dont-drop-it\" target=\"_blank\" >threatened to hold a hearing</a> over the burgeoning scandal. She hinted that the only way for Boutros to avoid it would be by permanently dropping<b> </b>charges<b> </b>against the pair.</p><p><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/06/11/broadview-six-grand-jury-misconduct-federal-prosecutors-drop-charges-loretto-hospital-covid-fraud\" target=\"_blank\" >His office did so</a> a little more than 24 hours later.</p><p>Claims<b> </b>of<b> </b>misconduct<b> </b>by<b> </b>Mecklenburg<b> </b>then<b> </b>surfaced<b> </b>in<b> </b>a<b> </b>separate<b> </b>arson<b> </b>case. Now those charges <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/06/22/broadview-six-damage-spreads-boutros-drops-more-charges-details-ongoing-review\" target=\"_blank\" >have also been tossed</a>.</p><p>In all, charges have been dropped against 10<b> </b>people, in three cases, as a result of the scandal.</p><h3><b>Who is U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros?</b></h3><p>Boutros is now facing calls to resign as he attempts to mitigate the damage.</p><p>He once served as a rank-and-file federal prosecutor<b> </b>in Chicago, handling<b> </b>financial crimes and<b> </b>special prosecutions between 2008 and 2015. He then moved on to become co-chair of Government Investigations and White Collar Practice at the firm Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP.</p><p>That was his job when then-Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed<b> </b>him<b> </b>in<b> </b>April<b> </b>2025<b> </b><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2025/03/28/former-prosecutor-andrew-boutros-named-chicagos-interim-u-s-attorney\" target=\"_blank\" >to serve temporarily</a> as the city’s top federal prosecutor. About four months later, Chicago’s <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/2025/07/25/chicagos-federal-judges-choose-andrew-boutros-as-top-prosecutor\" target=\"_blank\" >federal judges chose<b> </b>Boutros</a><b> </b>to continue in the role on a more permanent basis.</p><p>As U.S. attorney, Boutros leads a team of about 120 assistant U.S. attorneys. He is considered the top federal law enforcement official in northern Illinois, and he’s <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/04/07/chicago-crime-justice-department-doj-boutros-trump-midway-blitz-corruption\" target=\"_blank\" >denied that politics<b> </b>play any role</a> in charging decisions by his office.</p><div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center> <div class=\"Enhancement-item\" data-crop=\"\"> <figure class=\"Figure\"><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"image-e40000\" name=\"image-e40000\"></a> <picture data-crop=\"medium\"> <source type=\"image/webp\" width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c335dbd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5218x2928+0+275/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2Fc5%2F36334f8646a28a23285d680636d1%2Fboutros-043025-10.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e8f2a37/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5218x2928+0+275/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2Fc5%2F36334f8646a28a23285d680636d1%2Fboutros-043025-10.jpg 2x\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <source width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2e13550/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5218x2928+0+275/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2Fc5%2F36334f8646a28a23285d680636d1%2Fboutros-043025-10.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <img class=\"Image\" alt=\"__BOUTROS-043025_10.jpg\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2e13550/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5218x2928+0+275/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2Fc5%2F36334f8646a28a23285d680636d1%2Fboutros-043025-10.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7e1d89b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5218x2928+0+275/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2Fc5%2F36334f8646a28a23285d680636d1%2Fboutros-043025-10.jpg 2x\" width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2e13550/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5218x2928+0+275/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2Fc5%2F36334f8646a28a23285d680636d1%2Fboutros-043025-10.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" src=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" > </picture> <div class=\"Figure-content\"><figcaption class=\"Figure-caption\"><p>Andrew Boutros, Chicago’s interim U.S. attorney, speaks to reporters during an interview at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.</p></figcaption><span class=\"line\"></span><div class=\"Figure-credit\"><p>Pat Nabong/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>However, several veteran prosecutors left the office during<b> </b>the first year of his tenure, which also featured<b> </b>the Midway Blitz deportation campaign.</p><p>Boutros got the job even though<b> </b>he was not recommended<b> </b>to the White House by<b> </b>U.S. Rep. Darin<b> </b>LaHood, the<b> </b>Illinois<b> </b>Republican<b> </b>who led the search for Chicago’s U.S. attorney. Boutros also bypassed the traditional Senate confirmation process that’s been used to name his predecessors.</p><p>Several<b> </b>Democratic<b> </b>elected<b> </b>officials<b> </b>have<b> </b><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/donald-trump/2026/06/04/trump-blanche-boutros-doj-broadview\" target=\"_blank\" >called<b> </b>for Boutros’ resignation</a>. It’s unclear whether he can be fired, though, based on the law surrounding judge-appointed prosecutors.</p><p>Boutros has said he serves at the pleasure of the president. <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2025/05/30/andrew-boutros-interim-us-attorney-chicago-judges-role-pam-bondi\" target=\"_blank\" >But a legal expert</a> told the Chicago Sun-Times the only way to force a judge-appointed U.S. attorney out of office is through Senate<b> </b>confirmation<b> </b>of a presidential nominee.</p><p>That hasn’t happened <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/2017/11/9/18363175/lausch-confirmed-to-be-chicago-s-next-u-s-attorney\" target=\"_blank\" >in Chicago since 2017</a>.</p><h3><b>What will happen next?</b></h3><h3></h3><p>It’s unclear how far the damage from the “Broadview Six” case will spread. Judges and defense attorneys are reviewing grand jury transcripts in a growing list of cases, so it’s certainly possible more prosecutions will collapse.</p><p>Boutros announced “sweeping”<b> </b>grand jury reform plans, including a review of nearly 20 years of grand jury proceedings involving Mecklenburg.<b> </b>There’s likely little that can be done for fully resolved cases, though.</p><p>Boutros is facing the heat, too.</p><p>One judge said Boutros’ leadership team created a “credibility crisis.” U.S. Rep. Jamie<b> </b>Raskin, the House Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat, has called on professional disciplinary organizations <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2026/06/17/raskin-house-congress-boutros-trump-broadview-six\" target=\"_blank\" >to investigate Boutros</a> and others. And <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/06/08/broadview-six-andrew-boutros-federal-prosecutor-justice-department-doj\" target=\"_blank\" >more than 100 former federal prosecutors</a> who served in northern Illinois have called Boutros out for a “failure of leadership.”</p><p>Boutros’ office has apparently agreed to pay<b> </b>attorneys’ fees for the former defendants<b> </b>in the “Broadview Six” case, though it’s unclear what the price tag will be.</p><p>Still, those same defense attorneys are urging Perry<b> </b>to appoint a<b> </b>special counsel<b> </b>from<b> </b>outside<b> </b>the<b> </b>Justice<b> </b>Department<b> </b>to investigate Boutros<b> </b>and others<b> </b>for criminal contempt. Perry likely won’t rule on the motion until late July, at the earliest.</p><p>“Notwithstanding the government’s efforts to lay everything at the foot of a single convenient scapegoat, what occurred over the course of this deeply flawed prosecution clearly goes well beyond the mistake of any single assistant United States attorney,” the defense lawyers wrote, apparently referring to Mecklenburg.</p><p><i>Contributing: Sophie Sherry</i></p><div class=\"RelatedList Enhancement\" data-module data-align-center> <div class=\"RelatedList-title\">Related</div> <ul class=\"RelatedList-items\"> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/05/21/broadview-ice-protest-grand-jury-transcript-kat-abughazaleh-trump\" target=\"_blank\" >‘Broadview Six’ charges dropped as Chicago’s top federal prosecutor admits case was tainted by misconduct</a> </li> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/06/09/broadview-six-grand-jury-midway-blitz-boutros-trump\" target=\"_blank\" >Transcripts reveal tension, improprieties during ‘Broadview 6’ grand jury hearings</a> </li> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/06/22/broadview-six-damage-spreads-boutros-drops-more-charges-details-ongoing-review\" target=\"_blank\" >‘Broadview Six’ damage spreads with review of 20 years of one prosecutor’s cases</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p></p>",
  "title": "Inside the 'Broadview Six' scandal rocking Chicago's federal courthouse",
  "updatedAt": "2026-06-27T10:30:01.764Z"
}