Jon Seidel

@jonseidel.bsky.social

Federal Courts Reporter, @chicago.suntimes.com Signal: jseidel.37

A few additional highlights from the feds’ Broadview 6 filing: U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros was emailed a transcript of the 10/9 grand jury session in October but says he didn’t review it and problematic conduct was not brought to his attention until late April:

As to the other grand jury issues, the United States Attorney informed the Court that he first
learned of the “vouching” and ex parte conversations in late April 2026.9 Id. at 51-53. The United
States Attorney noted that he moved to dismiss the indictment based on his discovery of the
vouching and ex parte communications because “we wanted to moot whatever had taken place in
the grand jury.” Id. at 51-53, 57-58.
Since that time, the AUSAs on the trial team as well as Experienced AUSA 1 have self-
reported this Court’s comments—and the entirety of this matter—to the Department of Justice’s
Office of Professional Responsibility (“OPR”), which is the component of the Department
responsible for conducting an independent review of allegations of misconduct. 28 C.F.R. § 45.12;
Justice Manual § 1-4.200, et. seq. Moreover, as discussed in detail below, the United States
Attorney conducted a root cause analysis of the underlying issues giving rise to the dismissal of
the indictment and information in this case and has taken numerous remedial steps to help ensure
that the missteps that occurred here do not happen again.
9 The United States Attorney was emailed a copy of the transcript from the October 9, 2025, grand jury
presentation on October 14, 2025, but has no recollection of reviewing the transcript at that time, and is
quite certain he did not review the transcript at that time. The United States Attorney did not receive a copy
of the October 16 or October 23, 2025, transcripts until late April 2026, shortly before the Government
moved to dismiss the indictment. At that time (late April 2026), the United States Attorney reviewed
relevant portions of all three transcripts. Irrespective, no one ever brought the vouching or ex parte issues
to the United States Attorney’s attention until late April 2026, nor was the United States Attorney aware of
the vouching or ex parte issues until late April 2026.
Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social · 8h ago

New overnight: Chicago U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros’ office says the “Broadview Six” prosecutors have self-reported the events of the tainted prosecution to the DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility as it argues against a special counsel. Full filing: cst.brightspotcdn.com/98/58/82c837...

It's one thing to take on the risk of being a judge. It's another to "look your kid in the eye" and say "your home is not safe." That's what Judge Sara Ellis told a suburban Chicago man as she gave him six months in prison for threatening two of her colleagues: chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/0...

Libertyville man gets 6 months in prison for threatening federal judges with photos of bullets

U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis told James Lebuhn that “if we allow folks to just do what they want and threaten people in order to get the outcome that they want, that will ruin democracy faster reall...

chicago.suntimes.com

More than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor (and more than four years after a jury found him guilty), ex-Chicago Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson's case is headed back to the district court on a challenge to some (but not all) of his convictions.

ON REMAND FROM THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
Submitted April 22, 2025 Decided July 24, 2026
Before
JOEL M. FLAUM, Circuit Judge* AMY J. ST. EVE, Circuit Judge DORIS L. PRYOR, Circuit Judge
No. 22-2254
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
PATRICK D. THOMPSON,
Defendant-Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.
No. 21-cr-00279-1 Franklin U. Valderrama,
Judge.
* Circuit Judge Flaum passed away on December 4, 2024. He did not participate deciding this case on remand from the Supreme Court of the United States, which is being resolved under 28 U.S.C. § 46(d) by a quorum of the panel.ORDER
On January 8, 2024, we affirmed the district court’s denial of Thompson’s motion for acquittal on two counts of making “false statement[s]” to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1014 after a jury convicted him on those counts. See generally United States v. Thompson, 89 F.4th 1010 (7th Cir. 2024). On appeal, Thompson had argued the evidence was insufficient to convict him on the two counts because it showed only that he made misleading statements and not literally false statements. Id. at 1016–17. But our case law dictated affirmance. In United States v. Freed, 921 F.3d 716, 723 (7th Cir. 2019), we held that § 1014 criminalized statements that were misleading and not just statements that were literally false. And the evidence was sufficient to support that Thompson had made at least misleading statements to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, so we affirmed the district court’s denial of his motion for acquittal on the two counts. Thompson, 89 F.4th at 1017–18.
Thompson petitioned the Supreme Court of the United States for a writ of certiorari to determine whether § 1014 criminalized misleading statements, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari on October 4, 2024. Thompson v. United States, 145 S. Ct. 116 (Mem) (2024). On March 21, 2025, the Supreme Court held that § 1014 “does not criminalize statements that are misleading but true.” Thompson v. United States, 604 U.S. 408, 418 (2025). Instead, under the statute, the statement “must be ‘false’” to sustain a conviction. Id. Accordingly, the Supreme Court vacated the judgment of this Court and remanded for further proceedings.
Pursuant to Circuit Rule 54, the government asked that we evaluate the sufficiency of the evidence with the aid of additional briefing to determine whether Thompson’s statements were literally false and not merely misleading. Thompson, on the other hand, “submits that the district court, which heard the evidence at trial, is best positioned in t…

Failed Immigration Cases Leave Chicago Prosecutor’s Office Reeling In which Greg Bovino complains that Chicago U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros "would allow the perps … to walk" and says Boutros is “as weak as a limp dishrag.” From @nytimes.com: www.nytimes.com/2026/07/19/u...

Failed Immigration Cases Leave Chicago Prosecutor’s Office Reeling (Gift Article)

Prosecutors have fled the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago, angry about the cases they’ve been told to bring against protesters and immigrants.

nytimes.com

Federal prosecutors in Chicago are again asking for more time to respond to a request from members of the "Broadview Six" for a special counsel to investigate U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros and others. If granted, this likely pushes Judge April Perry's ruling into mid-August.

GOVERNMENT’S UNOPPOSED MOTION TO EXTEND TIME TO FILE ITS RESPONSE TO MOTIONS IN DKT. 225, 226, 227
Now comes the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, by its attorney, ANDREW S. BOUTROS, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and moves for an extension of time of 14 days, from July 21, 2026, to August 4, 2026, in which to file its response to the pending motions filed by Rabbitt, et. al. relating to a special prosecutor (Dkt. 225, 226, 227).
In support of its motion, the Government states as follows:
1. All charges against Rabbitt, et. al., have been dismissed with prejudice. Accordingly, they are not in custody or facing any charges. The Government filed its response to former Defendants’ requests for attorney’s fees and related discovery on July 7, 2026.
2. Pending are the motions asking this Court to appoint another attorney under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 42 to initiate contempt proceedings, or for this Court to use its inherent authority in a similar manner. Dkt. 225, 226, 227. Thosemotions raise different substantive legal issues and analysis than the attorney’s fees
motions.
3. The undersigned Assistant United States Attorney is helping prepare
the Government’s response to those motions. Since he was not part of the trial team,
he has needed time to review all the relevant materials while also researching the
issues raised by the various pending, lengthy, and complex motions. Given the
motions’ subject matter, additional time will also be needed for appropriate review.
4. Accordingly, the Government requests 14 additional days until August
4, 2026, to file its response. This is the Government’s second request for an extension.
This Court previously granted a 14-day extension.
5. Counsel for Rabbitt, et. al., has stated they do not have any objection to
that 14-day extension to respond to those motions.
WHEREFORE, the Government respectfully requests that this Court extend
the due date for its response to Dkt. 225, 226, 227 until August 4, 2026.
Respectfully submitted.
ANDREW S. BOUTROS
United States Attorney
By: s/ Nathaniel L. Whalen
NATHANIEL L. WHALEN
Assistant United States Attorney
Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The “Broadview Six” are asking a judge to take the extraordinary step of appointing a special counsel to investigate — and possibly prosecute — Justice Department officials in Chicago and Washington D.C. for criminal contempt. NEW from @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

JUST IN: Federal judge gives ex-Summit police chief John Kosmowski three years in prison for bribery, conspiracy and obstruction of justice. “There must be something in the water in Lake Michigan that makes Chicago a breeding ground for corruption.” ~ Judge Steven Seeger.

Chicago Sun-Times@chicago.suntimes.com · 8mo ago

A federal jury on Wednesday convicted a former police chief of southwest suburban Summit, finding him guilty of bribery, conspiracy and obstruction of justice at the end of a seven-day trial tied to several corruption cases that swept Chicago’s suburbs.

JUST IN: Judge Mary Rowland grants compassionate release to fraudster Yale Schiff, who questioned grand jury proceedings in this Sheri Mecklenburg case. Despite being "deeply troubled," Rowland "trusts that the government takes seriously its duty of candor" and will be consistent going forward.

The Court trusts that the Government takes seriously its duty of candor and its obligations to protect the public, and that the Government’s representations in this case reflect a good faith reading of 18 USC § 3582 and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. But the Court is deeply troubled at the significant departure this filing represents from the way the Government has treated dozens and dozens of motions for compassionate release, including in the case of United States v. Halderson, supra. The Court expects that the Government will take a position consistent to the one it takes here in similar circumstances in cases moving forward.
Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social · last mo.

This hearing over whether fraudster Yale Schiff should be released from prison is getting underway. It's another case once handled by AUSA Sheri Mecklenburg. Schiff's defense attorney, who has raised questions about the grand jury, is Chris Parente. He also represents a Broadview 6 defendant.

One week after the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would consider a challenge to assault-weapons bans, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sides with Gov. JB Pritzker and finds Illinois' ban is consistent with tradition. Full filing: cst.brightspotcdn.com/90/d2/c9610c...

In the
United States Court of Appeals For the Seventh Circuit
____________________ Nos. 24-3060, 24-3061, 24-3062 & 24-3063
CALEB BARNETT, et al.,
v.
KWAME RAOUL, Attorney General of the State of Illinois, et al.,
Plaintiffs-Appellees,
Defendants-Appellants. ____________________
Appeals from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.
Nos. 3:23-cv-209, 3:23-cv-141, 3:23-cv-192 & 3:23-cv-215 — Stephen P. McGlynn, Judge.
                 ____________________
ARGUED SEPTEMBER 22, 2025 — DECIDED JULY 9, 2026 ____________________
Before BRENNAN, Chief Judge, and EASTERBROOK and ST. EVE, Circuit Judges.
ST. EVE, Circuit Judge. In 2023, six months after a mass shooting at a Chicago suburb’s Independence Day parade left seven dead and dozens more wounded, Illinois enacted the Protect Illinois Communities Act. Among other things, theAct criminalizes the manufacture, sale, delivery, purchase, and possession of assault weapons and large-capacity maga- zines. A grandfather clause permits preexisting lawful own- ers of the regulated items to continue possessing them.
Plaintiffs across Illinois swiftly challenged the Act, suing state and local officials for declaratory and injunctive relief protecting their right to keep and bear arms. One federal court granted a preliminary injunction, two did not, and all three losing parties appealed. We consolidated their appeals and held in Bevis v. City of Naperville, 85 F.4th 1175 (7th Cir. 2023), that the plaintiffs were unlikely to succeed on the merits of their challenges.
One of the consolidated cases in Bevis was Barnett v. Raoul, which itself was the lead case for a set of four similar chal- lenges pending in the Southern District of Illinois. After build- ing out the record following Bevis, the Barnett parties pro- ceeded to a bench trial. In the end, the district court held that much of the Act violated the Second Amendment and that the offending provisions were not severable. The court therefore enjoined enforcement of the Act in its entirety. The defend- ants appealed.
For reasons that follow, we focus on the Act’s application to AR-15s and thirty-round rifle magazines. The Act’s re- strictions on these items, we hold, are consistent with the prin- ciples that underpin our Nation’s tradition of firearm regula- tion. Whether to adopt them is thus a decision reposed in our elected representatives, and we reverse.
Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social · last mo.

U.S. Supreme Court will hear challenge to Cook County assault weapons ban. And it could rule around the five-year anniversary of the Highland Park parade shooting. From @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/us-supreme-c...