Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Thursday came to the defense of embattled Chicago U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros in a lengthy social media post that praised him for “steadfastly” advancing the White House’s mission to make the city “safe for the American people.”
“This department fully supports U.S. Attorney Boutros and his efforts to combat violent crime, drug trafficking, immigration violations, and fraud, and we look forward to more great work from his office,” Blanche said in a statement posted on X.
Blanche said Boutros has increased indictments by 34% over the prior administration in 2025, and by 61% so far this year, although he did not give details. He specifically mentioned cases against the Sinaloa Cartel and weapons charges against a man accused of killing 18-year-old Loyola University student Sheridan Gorman.
What to know about the controversial ‘Broadview Six’ case — and its collapse in court
Blanche’s statement comes two days after Illinois’ two Democratic U.S. senators, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, joined calls for Boutros to resign, saying his office has been “riddled with chaos, deep internal dysfunction, and alleged misconduct.”
Boutros has been at the center of a rapidly intensifying scandal that is virtually unprecedented for Chicago’s vaunted U.S. attorney’s office, long regarded as one of the country’s most professional prosecutorial offices.
It started when the politically charged “Broadview Six” case against Operation Midway Blitz protesters collapsed two weeks ago in dramatic fashion, with U.S. District Judge April Perry describing “shocking” misconduct before the grand jury and Boutros himself appearing before Perry to apologize and dismiss the charges on the eve of trial.
Since that case unraveled, Boutros came under national scrutiny when it was revealed his office is leading a criminal investigation into a Chicago-based nonprofit that partially funded legal fees for E. Jean Carroll, the magazine columnist who successfully sued President Donald Trump for sexual assault and defamation.
In a carefully worded statement, Boutros said last week that reports of him opening any investigation targeting Carroll were “categorically false.”
As the scandal has widened, morale within the already-beleaguered U.S. attorney’s office has gone into free fall. Several prosecutors who played a role in the Broadview Six case have hired attorneys amid potential claims of vindictive prosecution and cover-up.
Attorneys representing the former Broadview defendants filed a motion this week asking a judge to award payment of the attorney fees they incurred to fight the case.
Another motion is expected to be filed Thursday seeking extensive discovery on any potential pressure from the Trump administration to indict the Broadview case — including by Blanche’s office.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
