CHICAGO (WLS) — The White House is set to appoint Andrew Boutros as the interim U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Sources have indicated that U.S. Representative Darin LaHood, the highest-ranking Republican from Illinois in Washington, has interviewed several well-qualified candidates for the position. He has forwarded a list of at least three names to the White House for consideration.
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Andrew Boutros was not on that list even though he was interviewed as part of the process.
The Chicago federal prosecutors have been without a permanent leader for quite some time, as previously reported by the I-Team. The appointment of a new U.S. Attorney is crucial, especially as the office anticipates handling an influx of immigration and deportation cases in the federal courts.
Joliet native John Lausch, nominated by President Donald Trump during his first term in 2017, was the last confirmed lead prosecutor in the office.
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Acting U.S. Attorney Morris “Sonny” Pasqual was put in the top spot on a temporary tenure nearly two years ago. President Joe Biden’s pick to fill the job, April Perry, was never confirmed.
Data from the U.S. government shows the number of criminal indictments filed by the Northern District of Illinois’ office has dropped relatively steadily in the last four years, from 924 in 2019 and bottoming out at 396 in 2024. That’s the lowest number of criminal indictments in at least 30 years.
When asked about the potential appointment on Monday, Boutros told the I-Team “no comment”.
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