Chicago US Attorney to Stay On Job
The Biden administration confirmed over the weekend it would not remove Chicago U.S. Attorney John Lausch. Lausch has been prosecuting prominent politicians, and his Commonwealth Edison probe appears to have former House Speaker Michael Madigan in its sights.
The Biden administration has confirmed it will reverse course and keep Northern District of Illinois U.S. Attorney John Lausch in his position.
Via the Sun-Times:
President Joe Biden’s team wanted all top federal prosecutors to resign as of Sunday, with only two exceptions. Lausch became the third, with the Biden White House reversal.
“In very limited exceptions, including the Northern District of Illinois, the administration has opted not to seek new candidates for U.S. Attorney positions at this time,” said a White House official Sunday who did not want to named.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., four of the five GOP House members from Illinois, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and others wanted Lausch to remain on the job and continue to oversee multiple public corruption prosecutions and investigations of top Democrats.
Durbin and Duckworth supported the confirmation of Lausch, the nominee of ex-President Donald Trump.
The two senators asked for Lausch to stay until his successor was confirmed. The White House statement suggests it went a step further by saying there will be no search for a replacement “at this time.” Lausch’s four-year term ends in November.
Much of the sway surely came from Durbin, who now chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee.