Ranking Member Raskin Demands Investigation of Illinois U.S. Attorney Over Egregious Grand Jury Misconduct in Failed Prosecution of “Broadview Six” Protesters

New Transcripts Detail Effort to Cover Up Grand Jury Tampering, Juror Intimidation in Improper Prosecution of Six Democratic Elected Officials and Activists Near Chicago

Washington, D.C. (June 17, 2026)—Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, is demanding an immediate investigation into Andrew S. Boutros, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, over his misconduct in the “Broadview Six” case—a failed federal prosecution of six Democratic elected officials and activists charged for protesting outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility near Chicago.

In a letter to the Department of Justice’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) and the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC), Ranking Member Raskin cited newly released grand jury transcripts that reveal serious abuses of the grand jury process, including attempts to improperly influence jurors, unlawful dismissal of a juror, and efforts to conceal misconduct.

“None of this is how justice is supposed to work in America. Enshrined in our Constitution, grand juries are supposed to stand as a neutral arbiter between the state and the accused, carefully weighing the evidence and rejecting flimsy or unjust charges on behalf of the people. By tampering with the grand jury, Mr. Boutros and his team corrupted and contaminated the deliberative process, hollowed out the protection that the Constitution guarantees and violated the would-be defendants’ right to due process. This misconduct violates the prosecutor’s ethical obligations to ‘seek justice, not merely to convict,’ and numerous other rules prohibiting undue influence and official coercion of the grand jury,” wrote Ranking Member Raskin.

According to the transcripts, prosecutors sought an indictment after an initial grand jury declined to charge the defendants. They lobbied jurors, vouched for their own evidence, invited dissenting jurors to identify themselves, and unlawfully removed at least one juror. On a third attempt after these improper moves, they secured the indictment.

This egregious misconduct was compounded by an apparent cover-up. When ordered to produce transcripts, prosecutors submitted heavily redacted versions that concealed the conduct. After the full record emerged, all charges were dismissed with prejudice on the eve of trial.

A federal judge sharply rebuked the office, stating: “Your sole goal is to do justice… That trust has been broken.” More than 100 former federal prosecutors also condemned the episode as a “failure of leadership.”

The conduct may violate federal rules and professional ethics standards and erodes public confidence in our justice system.

Ranking Member Raskin is calling for an immediate investigation into Mr. Boutros and any DOJ personnel involved.

Click here to read the letter.