Judge Sets November Date For FBI Chief Suit

U.S. District Judge April Perry issued an order Monday requiring four federal prosecutors to provide sworn testimony on Nov. 16. The hearing concerns the collapsed prosecution of six Chicago protesters known as the Broadview Six. This ruling came hours after Douglas DePodesta, the former FBI chief for the Chicago Field Office, filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department.

DePodesta claims he was removed from his position because superiors believed he failed to support politically motivated charges. The complaint names U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros as a central figure. DePodesta alleges Boutros launched an internal campaign to assign blame for the failed case to the FBI rather than the prosecutor's office. DePodesta stated that FBI Director Kash Patel pushed for his removal before he resigned over the summer. "I saw the writing on the wall," DePodesta told The Associated Press.

The lawsuit describes a pattern of pressure within the Northern District of Illinois. Prosecutors brought charges against roughly 30 demonstrators during the immigration enforcement operation called Operation Midway Blitz. Many of those charges have since been dropped or dismissed. The complaint asserts that Boutros demanded felony counts even when line prosecutors recommended misdemeanors or no charges at all. It further claims Boutros asked DePodesta to open investigations into individuals with political views opposing the Trump administration.

In October 2025, Boutros charged six people with conspiring to obstruct a federal officer during a protest in Broadview. Grand jury transcripts show jurors twice declined to indict as prosecutors sought charges. Boutros dropped all charges in May 2026 while the court investigated possible misconduct. DePodesta's attorneys wrote that Boutros repeatedly complained to Washington that DePodesta caused the failure to deflect attention from his own actions. DePodesta denied these claims to his superiors. The FBI leadership conceded he was forced out due to political pressure created by Boutros.

The complaint also addresses a personal conflict of interest. It alleges Boutros told department leadership that DePodesta and his sister-in-law Nancy DePodesta, an attorney for one of the defendants, conspired to destroy the case. Nancy DePodesta called the situation heartbreaking and shameful in a statement. She described the rumors spread by Boutros as utterly false.

A former prosecutor on the Broadview Six case resigned in September. Her letter stated that Boutros scapegoated and publicly vilified her. She asked the court to treat her as an independent party. The former defendants have requested a special counsel to examine prosecutorial misconduct. Judge Perry ordered further fact-finding into communications between the local office and department leadership on Oct. 1. Boutros has previously denied that politics influenced charging decisions. The Justice Department has not yet responded to a request for comment.