* Sun-Times…
Federal prosecutors in Chicago say they will dismiss the controversial conspiracy charge against the remaining four members of the so-called “Broadview Six,” with plans to revise the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Hogan shared the news with U.S. District Judge April Perry during a status hearing in the case Wednesday. Hogan said prosecutors plan to file a new charging document, focused on the remaining misdemeanor counts against the defendants who demonstrated last fall against Operation Midway Blitz.
The revelation came during a hearing scheduled by Perry late last week. At the time, she told prosecutors to bring with them unredacted copies of transcripts showing how prosecutors had explained the law in the case to grand jurors.
By dropping the conspiracy count, the feds avoided having to share those transcripts with the judge.
Charged in the case are former congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, Oak Park village trustee Brian Straw, 45th Ward Democratic committeeperson Michael Rabbitt and Andre Martin, a former member of Abughazaleh’s campaign staff. All four are involved in local Democratic politics. […]
U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros has denied that politics played any role in his office’s charging decisions.
Sure, sure.
* More…
- BE - Wednesday, Apr 29, 26 @ 12:43 pm:
==By dropping the conspiracy count, the feds avoided having to share those transcripts with the judge.==
Yeah, I feel suspicious as well.