Jon Seidel

chicago.suntimes.comFederal appeals panel considers who can fire top federal prosecutors named by judgesThe West Coast panel's ruling won't be binding in Illinois. But the question has new relevance here, given that Chicago U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros was installed by judges and he remains at the cente...

When federal judges pick the top prosecutor (like they did in Chicago), who gets to say "you're fired"? A federal appeals court is set to weigh in. From @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/10...

supremecourt.govsupremecourt.gov

The Cook County brief includes a note about the gun used to target President Donald Trump in 2024. "The shooter climbed onto a rooftop approximately 150 yards from the podium and fired an AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle."

Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social

Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke has submitted her brief to SCOTUS defending the county's assault weapons ban. "[The AR-15's] purpose was for battlefields teeming with enemy soldiers, not for city blocks populated with families." Full filing: www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25...

supremecourt.govsupremecourt.gov

supremecourt.govsupremecourt.gov

Here's the brief filed by the challengers in August: www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25...

chicago.suntimes.comMan charged in early morning shooting at Chicago's Federal PlazaNo one was hit in the shooting near the John C. Kluczynski Federal Building, according to Chicago police.

Man charged in early morning shooting at Chicago's Federal Plaza chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/1...

chicago.suntimes.comMan sought in 2021 killing of National Guard member added to FBI's 10 most wanted listThe feds are looking for Joseph "Troubles" Matos, 44, a purported member of the Milwaukee Kings street gang. The reward for his capture was also raised to $1 million.

Chicago's FBI boss has announced a $1M reward for info leading to the arrest of Joseph "Troubles" Matos for the 2021 murder of Illinois National Guard soldier Chrys Carvajal. “There’s someone out there that knows where Matos is." chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/1...

Details on Matos: www.fbi.gov/wanted/topte...

fbi.govfbi.gov

NEW: Man sought in 2021 killing of Illinois National Guard member added to FBI's 10 most wanted list chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/1...

Jon Seidel reposted

Anna Bower

@annabower.bsky.social

Reyes, before she wraps up golf course hearing, says her family has been texting her, "freaking out" over CNN report about death threats bc of this case. "A federal judge is getting death threats over a golf course. I really don’t think that’s what the founders envisioned."

Roger Parloff@rparloff.bsky.social

At 10am Judge Ana Reyes will begin an evidentiary hearing in the golf course case at 10am. I'll try to live-blog from the US Courthouse media room for @lawfaremedia.org . This is a case to stop Trump from converting a historic public golf course, open to all, to a Trump style championship course.

Remember ex-AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza? Two years after his Madigan-related corruption trial ended with a hung jury, federal prosecutors in Chicago today have officially moved to dismiss his indictment. Background here: chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-corr...

chicago.suntimes.comOnce a political giant, Madigan now a convicted felon and likely prison inmate — but not a racketeerThe verdict capped an unpredictable four-month trial that gave jurors an up-front and uncensored look at the practice of behind-the-scenes politics in Chicago and Illinois in the previous decade.

When ex-IL House Speaker Michael Madigan went to trial soon after, jurors also struggled with the AT&T-related allegations. They convicted Madigan for other conduct: chicago.suntimes.com/madigan-tria...

chicago.suntimes.comEx-AT&T Illinois president could escape conviction after striking deal in Madigan bribery caseUnder the terms of a so-called deferred prosecution agreement, prosecutors are expected to eventually seek dismissal of the 2022 indictment against Paul La Schiazza.

So eventually, La Schiazza struck a deal: chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-corr...

chicago.suntimes.comGun jammed when neo-Nazi attempted mass shooting at Hindu temple in Aurora, prosecutors sayAlexandros Paporakis, 19, spent years planning a mass shooting and had been targeting the temple for two months, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors say Alexandros Paporakis, 19, spent two years planning a mass shooting and wound up targeting a Hindu worship center in Aurora, Ill. Then, when the time came, his AR-style rifle jammed. From @cindylu7.bsky.social and @tinasfon.bsky.social: chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/1...

chicago.suntimes.comMan who caused shutdown at Chicago's federal courthouse pleads guilty, faces 2 years in prisonThe standoff at the downtown courthouse lasted roughly nine hours in July 2025. It shut down traffic on South Dearborn Street and eventually prompted an evacuation of the 30-story downtown tower.

Man who caused shutdown at Chicago's federal courthouse pleads guilty, faces 2 years in prison chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/1...

chicago.suntimes.comGroup cheered as woman was sexually assaulted at University of Chicago frat house, police report saysThe 21-year-old woman told police the assault happened during a party at the Alpha Epsilon Pi house, according to the report. Her account was backed up by two friends, who stated they intervened by ba...

Group cheered as woman was sexually assaulted at University of Chicago frat house, police report says. From @sophiesherry.bsky.social and Rosemary Sobol, via @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/1...

chicago.suntimes.com'Broadview Six' judge testing claims made by Boutros, others in tainted caseIt all lines up with U.S. District Judge April Perry’s insistence last week that her “sole focus … is on lack of candor, concealment of material facts, or other misconduct that occurred before me.” Sh...

Ever since the "Broadview 6" scandal broke, much has been made of alleged misconduct by one federal prosecutor. Judge April Perry is going a different direction, testing claims made by U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros and others. UPDATED from @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/1...

"[The Office of Professional Responsibility] has a particular need to interview former Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Sheri Mecklenburg and AUSA Matthew Skiba."

Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social

NEW: The feds' petition has been made public in unredacted form. Here's the full filing (with signature blocks below): cst.brightspotcdn.com/58/76/38fc5d...

"The U.S. Attorney's Office seeks an order authorizing disclosure of the … transcripts and exhibits to Ms. Mecklenburg and her counsel and AUSA Skiba's counsel."

NEW: The feds' petition has been made public in unredacted form. Here's the full filing (with signature blocks below): cst.brightspotcdn.com/58/76/38fc5d...

Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social

UPDATE: Judge April Perry denies the government's bid to keep all of this under seal — including the attorney's signature block. "The government has also publicly disclosed … that there is an OPR investigation in this case."

chicago.suntimes.comFeds appear to hide name of government lawyer in new 'Broadview Six' court filingThe move is particularly striking in the politically charged "Broadview Six" case, in which U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros' office has already been accused of a cover-up. Even in the Chicago prosecution...

Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social

Feds appear to hide name of government lawyer in new 'Broadview Six' court filing From @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/1...

"Testimony from witnesses may be requested at a later time."

Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social

JUST IN: U.S. District Judge April Perry lays out her demands for federal prosecutors in Chicago as she decides how to proceed in the "Broadview Six" litigation:

Among other things, Perry asks for "the October 14, 2025 email sent to U.S. Attorney Boutros attaching the October 9, 2025 Grand Jury transcript and any replies to or forwards of that email." She also wants metadata.

Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social

JUST IN: U.S. District Judge April Perry lays out her demands for federal prosecutors in Chicago as she decides how to proceed in the "Broadview Six" litigation:

JUST IN: U.S. District Judge April Perry lays out her demands for federal prosecutors in Chicago as she decides how to proceed in the "Broadview Six" litigation:

Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social

Feds appear to hide name of government lawyer in new 'Broadview Six' court filing From @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/1...

Feds appear to hide name of government lawyer in new 'Broadview Six' court filing From @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/1...

Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social

Good morning. Federal prosecutors in Chicago filed partially redacted documents overnight in the "Broadview Six" case. The redactions appear to include the signature block (including the name) of one of the attorneys representing the United States government:

chicago.suntimes.com'Broadview Six' judge wants to put prosecutors under oath, keeps contempt charges on the tableU.S. District Judge April Perry on Thursday raised the specter of a "cover-up" and questioned whether federal prosecutors in Chicago talked to top officials in Washington about the politically charged...

Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social

When federal prosecutors assured Judge April Perry last spring they'd had no contact with top DOJ brass while pursuing the "Broadview Six," she took them at their word. Those days are over. From me and @sophiesherry.bsky.social on Perry's fact-finding effort: chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/1...

The filings are here: cst.brightspotcdn.com/46/26/956a07...

And here cst.brightspotcdn.com/b0/4c/dd2034...

chicago.suntimes.comJudge threatens to order Midway Blitz agents to hand over personal phones — after Bovino refusedU.S. District Judge Sara Ellis presides over a lawsuit brought by Illinois and Chicago against Homeland Security. It alleges Midway Blitz was designed to coerce the state and city into assisting the f...

NEW: Judge threatens to order Midway Blitz agents to hand over personal phones for review — after Bovino refuses From @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/bearing-the-...

chicago.suntimes.comFamily of Silverio Villegas González seeks damages over fatal ICE shooting near ChicagoVillegas González’s family filed a formal complaint against the feds on Thursday, taking the first step toward suing the federal government over his death. An attorney for the family said they expect ...

Family of Silverio Villegas González seeks damages over fatal ICE shooting near Chicago From @almacampos.bsky.social: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

chicago.suntimes.comChicago woman shot by Border Patrol sues feds — and keeps pushing for criminal chargesMarimar Martinez was labeled a "domestic terrorist" and criminally charged after she was shot by agent Charles Exum last year. Since her exoneration, she has fought the Trump administration's aggressi...

“Somebody needs to do something." Marimar Martinez's attorneys insist they have the evidence to charge Border Patrol agent Charles Exum with wrongdoing in her October 2025 shooting in Chicago. From @chicago.suntimes.com on her new lawsuit: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

JUST IN: Images from the reconstruction of Marimar Martinez's October 2025 shooting in Chicago by Border Patrol agent Charles Exum:

Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social

NEW: Marimar Martinez of Chicago has officially filed her lawsuit against the federal government over her shooting by Border Patrol agent Charles Exum. Read the complaint here: cst.brightspotcdn.com/3e/79/71b60d...

chicago.suntimes.comChicago woman shot by Border Patrol agent challenges feds’ narrative while announcing lawsuitMarimar Martinez was labeled a "domestic terrorist" and hit with criminal charges after she was shot by agent Charles Exum on Oct. 5, 2025. Since she was exonerated, Martinez has advocated against the...

Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social

DEVELOPING: Marimar Martinez challenges feds' narrative while announcing lawsuit over her shooting by Border Patrol: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

DEVELOPING: Marimar Martinez challenges feds' narrative while announcing lawsuit over her shooting by Border Patrol: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

chicago.suntimes.comDennis Hastert, former US House speaker disgraced by sex abuse allegations, dies at 84The Aurora native rose in the ranks from a member of the Illinois House of Representatives to the U.S. Speaker of the House. But his conviction in 2016 for financial misconduct as part of a plan to pa...

“Nothing is more stunning than having ‘serial child molester’ and ‘speaker of the house’ in the same sentence." @tinasfon.bsky.social recaps the fall of Dennis Hastert, the former U.S. House Speaker who died Saturday at 84: chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/2...

nytimes.comDennis Hastert, Powerful Politician Disgraced by Child Sex Scandal, Dies (Gift Article)The longest-serving Republican speaker of the House admitted in 2016 to abusing teenage boys decades earlier. He was 84.

Dennis Hastert, Powerful Politician Disgraced by Child Sex Scandal, Dies From @nytimes.com: www.nytimes.com/2026/10/05/o...

chicago.suntimes.comDennis Hastert, 'serial child molester,' gets 15 months in prisonFormer U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert was wheeled into the Dirksen Federal Courthouse Wednesday morning to be sentenced for violating banking laws.

Our @chicago.suntimes.com coverage from Hastert's sentencing 10 years ago — the day a federal judge in Chicago called him a 'serial child molester': chicago.suntimes.com/2016/4/27/18...

Judge April Perry is in with her summary of yesterday's "Broadview Six" proceedings. No further detail yet on her questions for the feds:

Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social

law.cornell.eduRule 42. Criminal Contempt

Perry's order outlines a briefing schedule for the feds and law professor William Baude on the constitutionality of Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 42, Criminal Contempt: www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcrmp...

A Matter of Distrust Today's @chicago.suntimes.com front page story on Judge April Perry's "under oath" fact-finding in the "Broadview Six" case. With @sophiesherry.bsky.social: chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/1...

nytimes.comJudge Reinstates Seattle’s Top Federal Prosecutor, Ousted by Trump (Gift Article)The Justice Department had fired Roger Rogoff as part of a larger maneuver to install its preferred judicial appointees and circumvent Senate confirmation.

Andrew Boutros, Chicago's top federal prosecutor, is also a court-appointed U.S. attorney.

Jon Seidel@jonseidel.bsky.social

From @nytimes.com: Judge Reinstates Seattle's Top Federal Prosecutor, Ousted by Trump "Judge Bastian … said in his ruling that 'the president cannot unilaterally fire a United States attorney appointed by the district court.'" www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/u...

From May 2025 (before Boutros' appointment): chicago.suntimes.com/politics/202...