* NBC 5…
Federal prosecutors have dismissed all remaining charges against remaining members of the so-called “Broadview Six.”
Prosecutors announced the dismissal after a hearing before U.S. District Judge April Perry, who had previously dismissed felony charges in the case earlier this month.
Prosecutor Andrew Boutros admitted in court Thursday that prosecutors had made “significant errors” in the grand jury process.
It is expected grand jury transcripts will be unsealed by the end of the day Thursday, shedding more light on how the federal case came to be.
* Tribune’s ace reporter…
* Sun-Times’ ace reporter…
* WTTW…
The government’s “remarkable about-face,” defense attorneys argued, comes at a time of “mounting national distrust” in the Department of Justice’s use of the grand jury process.
Citing the recent federal indictments filed against former FBI Director James Comey and the Southern Poverty Law Center, defense attorneys argued the timing of the dismissal announcement in this case at a hearing to review unredacted grand jury transcripts “is likely no coincidence.”
* Block Club Chicago…
Defense attorneys argued the case was politically motivated, pointing to the fact that five of those originally charged were local Democratic politicians or candidates speaking out against President Donald Trump’s immigration blitz.
Prosecutors denied any influence from the White House, calling the accusations “the product of fevered paranoia and delusional speculation, not to mention grossly disingenuous and thoroughly irresponsible,” one prosecutor said.
Sure, Jan.
*** UPDATE *** Holy moly…
- ElTacoBandito - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 2:10 pm:
Over 150 years of building up the credibility of the DOJ only to see it blown to smithereens in under 2 years. Yes, DOJ has made some horrendous choices and errors in the past, but no one thought incompetent like this.
- Big Dipper - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 2:14 pm:
To think the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District used to be a highly-respected office and is now just Trump’s lackey.
- Pundent - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 2:23 pm:
“Prosecutors denied any influence from the White House…”
So just garden variety malicious prosecution or gross incompetence?
- Google is Your Friend - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 2:37 pm:
Sounds like East Germany
- Glengarry - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 2:49 pm:
I’m not surprised.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 2:53 pm:
Meisner’s article highlighted vouching by the AUSA in the grand jury transcripts, basically saying “trust me, they’re totally guilty” instead of presenting facts.
- Roadrager - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 3:02 pm:
A gross miscarriage of justice that simultaneously is a relief that it only got this far, and repugnant that it got this far.
I hope those sanctions come equipped with some very sharp teeth.
- JoanP - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 3:06 pm:
= a prosecutor communicated with a grand juror outside of the deliberation room =
= prosecutors left out whole pages and redacted dozens of lines from the grand jury transcripts that mislead the judge =
Holy c**p. Someone needs to file an ARDC complaint.
- Keyrock - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 3:17 pm:
This just highlights the absurdity of DOJ’s proposed rule (illegally) attempting to block state bar discipline authorities from sanctioning DOJ attorneys.
Kudos to the ISBA for opposing the proposed rule.
https://www.isba.org/barnews/2026/03/isbafilescommentopposingproposeddepartmentofjustic
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 3:22 pm:
I don’t know if anyone else saw this piece in the New York Times explaining how incompetent people flock to help the Fascists out in an effort to boost their own careers because they know that there’s no way they’re going to be able to advance their career on merit, but this seems like a good possible explanation as to why these prosecutors would be so blatantly unethical and pursue this route in the first place.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/world/americas/actually-democracy-dies-in-hr.html
- Norseman - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 3:23 pm:
Where do these folks apply for reparations money?
- Stephanie Kollmann - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 3:23 pm:
It would be good to hear from Illinois law enforcement, especially attorneys in law enforcement, about whether any of this gives them pause about collaborating with these people through various discretionary task forces, etc.
- @misterjayem - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 3:33 pm:
Two reminders for those who might be asking how the Feds could screw this up so badly:
1) They were determined to prosecute this case, and
2) there was no ethical and lawful way to do so.
It really is that simple.
– MrJM
- SJOH - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 3:34 pm:
Can they apply for federal anti-weaponization payouts?
- jimbo - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 3:48 pm:
I’m certain they’ll be able to apply for their portion of the government’s 1.776 billion dollar fund, right? /s
- Friendly Bob Adams - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 3:50 pm:
Speaking outside of court to a juror is a very bad thing. Back when we had laws and stuff it would have been a big problem for the prosecutor.
- Paddyrollingstone - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 3:54 pm:
El Taco - “Over 150 years of building up the credibility of the DOJ only to see it blown to smithereens in under 2 years.”
You are totally correct. A friend who was both with DEA and the USAO said that people who have the idea that the problems at DOJ will be corrected within a couple years after DJT leaves the presidency, are delusional. He said “try like twenty.”
Sad times.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 4:17 pm:
This is why so many career attorneys in the Northern IL district walked out when this admin took over. They saw this stuff coming and wanted no part of it.
Sanctions would send a message, but I’m not sure it’ll make any difference to the current crew at 219 S. Dearborn.
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 4:22 pm:
Will any attorneys be sanctioned by the Bar?
- anonymous for this post - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 4:23 pm:
“Sanctions would send a message, but I’m not sure it’ll make any difference to the current crew at 219 S. Dearborn.”
If you are talking about the US Attorney himself, I would agree with you. But all of attorneys that I deal with there are, I believe of the utmost integrity.
- Amalia - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 4:31 pm:
what the what Northern District? I knew a supervisor there from a job years ago. he’s a great person, a great lawyer. a defense attorney friend has deep respect for Boutros. what is going on? this explains why they handed the case off to someone more senior. yes, ardc referral.
- Juice - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 5:20 pm:
The best part of all of this might be the fact that April Perry wouldn’t even be a judge today if not for JD Vance blocking her confirmation to be US Attorney.
- Leslie K - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 5:27 pm:
==no one thought incompetent like this==
I think you are being a little generous there. This all sounds very deliberate. And outrageously unethical.
- ChicagoVinny - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 6:21 pm:
Disbar them all.
- Amalia - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 6:48 pm:
“Boutros said he learned Perry was “understandably quite upset” after reviewing the unredacted transcripts and ordering Thursday morning’s hearing, and added that he “sincerely believed” that none of his prosecutors “acted intentionally to mislead you.” So what did he do, send in rookies? I recall someone talking about handling grand jury matters and being so worried about even a misplaced comma. Do they have a supervisor of grand jury matters? It’s possible to make mistakes but in this environment handling things has to be better. As for sanctions, has anyone ever heard of a AUSA here where sanctions stuck? There was a recent ASA who retired but actions were when she was an ASA, argument issues + lying on a blog. She got a 30 day suspension.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 7:22 pm:
Evanston Now posted the entire transcript. Yeah, that’s bad. The misdemeanor charges do not need a grand jury indictment, so you have to wonder why Boutros was so quick to dismiss the charges.
https://
evanstonnow.com/wp-content/upl
oads/2026/05/25cr693-usa-v-rabbitt-052126.pdf
…
- JS Mill - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 8:16 pm:
= Prosecutors denied any influence from the White House, calling the accusations “the product of fevered paranoia and delusional speculation, not to mention grossly disingenuous and thoroughly irresponsible,” one prosecutor said.=
Checking some social media posts…I call Horse manure.
@Norseman +1
The DOJ was once the premier agency of its type in the world. Yes, at times mistakes were made, but they were once the premier legal agency. Not anymore.
- Big Dipper - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 11:10 pm:
If suborning perjury is a crime I don’t see how a prosecutor falsely vouching to a grand jury that they have probable cause to convict shouldn’t also be.
- Big Dipper - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 11:12 pm:
correction probable cause to indict