CHICAGO — Federal prosecutors in Chicago have moved to dismiss multiple criminal cases as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois reviews grand jury proceedings following allegations of improper conduct in several prosecutions, court filings and officials said this week.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros announced that his office is reviewing more than 100 grand jury matters handled over nearly two decades by a veteran prosecutor after what he described in court filings as “serious irregularities” in grand jury presentations. The review follows the collapse of the so-called “Broadview Six” prosecution and the subsequent dismissal of other criminal cases tied to the same grand jury process.
On Monday, federal prosecutors asked a judge to dismiss an arson case after identifying what Boutros said were improper communications involving grand jurors. U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman granted the motion. According to court filings, prosecutors concluded that continuing the case was not appropriate after reviewing transcripts, records and available audio from the grand jury proceedings.
The latest dismissal followed earlier decisions to drop charges in a COVID-19 fraud case and the prosecution of six protesters known as the “Broadview Six,” whose case unraveled after allegations emerged that prosecutors had engaged in improper conduct during grand jury proceedings. Boutros previously acknowledged problems in the handling of that case and dismissed the remaining charges with prejudice, preventing them from being refiled.
In announcing reforms last month, Boutros said the office had implemented new grand jury procedures intended to improve transparency and reduce the likelihood of future errors. “These remediations should also be deeply curative,” he said in a statement announcing the changes. The office said the reforms established clearer rules governing disclosures and prosecutor conduct before grand juries.
Defense attorneys and some elected officials have criticized the office’s handling of the cases. Attorneys representing former Broadview defendants have asked a federal judge to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate whether misconduct occurred and whether criminal contempt charges should be considered. A ruling on that request has not been issued.
Federal judges have also expressed concern about the controversy. In separate hearings this month, judges questioned the credibility of the office and the handling of grand jury materials connected to the affected prosecutions.
As of Thursday, the review of past grand jury proceedings remained ongoing. Officials have not disclosed how many additional cases could be affected, and details of the broader inquiry remain unclear.
