Former Chicago Prosecutors Exploring Pushback to Trump’s DOJ (1)

Citing “serious concerns” that the Justice Department is “ignoring its founding principles,” a group of former Chicago federal prosecutors sent an email this week to hundreds of former colleagues, hoping to gauge their interest in taking non-partisan, “tangible action.”

The message’s 14 signatories include three former US attorneys for the Northern District of Illinois: Scott Lassar, Dan Webb, and Patrick Fitzgerald.

“As lawyers who cherish the role DOJ should play in our criminal justice system, we feel compelled to speak and act against the troubling events underway at the Department, and we invite you to participate in those efforts,” reads the email, which was obtained by Bloomberg Law.

The group is considering, among other efforts, pushing back against a proposal to suspend state bar ethics inquiries into DOJ attorneys.

“We believe that is a dangerous precedent,” the email said, suggesting former assistant US attorneys could write a comment concerning those regulations.

The email also mentions “current efforts to encourage individual lawyers to sign onto statements of principles that represent the core values of our system of justice,” and said interested attorneys could get involved as counsel or amici in cases “involving core issues.”

“One particular issue is potential litigation to protect the integrity of elections,” it said. “There are many like-minded non-partisan organizations who are already at work with which we could partner in these efforts.”

In a statement, Northern District of Illinois US Attorney Andrew Boutros said his office “is busy doing the people’s business, which means prosecuting criminals who commit serious crimes, protecting victims, and vindicating public interests, all while upholding the Constitution.”

“We recognize the immense power we wield over life, liberty, and reputation, and therefore, we strive every day to exercise that enormous responsibility with integrity, fairness, decency, and humility,” he said. “We are not interested in anything that distracts us from our mission.”

The email’s signatories represent a “very informal” group of former colleagues with a range of political affiliations “who have chatted about whether we could move from handwringing to action,” the message said.

“Today’s email is an invitation to serve the public again in tangible ways as private citizens, but private citizens who are alums of the US Attorney’s office in Chicago, who share common values about the Department of Justice from our prior service,” the email said.

The Chicago US attorney’s office has seen multiple experienced prosecutors depart in the past year. Boutros, Trump’s selection for US attorney, has been watched closely for signs of how he might handle pressure from Washington, particularly in the midst of last year’s aggressive immigration crackdown.

The email repeatedly stresses that any efforts would be non-partisan and the signatories’ message is simply an initial step to measure interest.

“If there is a letter to be signed, an amicus brief to be proposed, or an effort to serve as counsel of record, each one of you would decide on a case-by-case basis whether and how to participate,” it said.

The email was initially reported Thursday by the Chicago Sun-Times.