WASHINGTON
The former head of the FBI's Chicago field office filed a lawsuit Monday against top Justice Department officials, alleging federal prosecutors pursued politically motivated cases against Chicago demonstrators who opposed the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
Douglas DePodesta claims he was wrongly blamed for the failed prosecution of six individuals in what became known as the "Broadview Six" case. His lawsuit states that FBI Director Kash Patel advocated for his removal, and DePodesta resigned over the summer, telling The Associated Press: "I saw the writing on the wall."
DePodesta accuses U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros of the Northern District of Illinois of launching a campaign within the Justice Department to assign blame for the case's collapse.
Hours after DePodesta filed suit, U.S. District Judge April Perry ordered Boutros and three assistant U.S. attorneys to provide sworn testimony on Nov. 16. In her order, Perry wrote that "there is more than an adequate factual basis for the Court to pursue an inquiry as to whether willful false statements were made to the court."
The lawsuit alleges Boutros faced pressure from the Justice Department to bring felony charges during an immigration enforcement operation called "Operation Midway Blitz." DePodesta's complaint details emails in which Boutros allegedly demanded that FBI investigations be opened into individuals based on their political views or affiliations opposing the Trump administration.
According to the lawsuit, Boutros pushed assistant U.S. attorneys to file charges before objective evidence was investigated, seeking felony counts even when prosecutors favored misdemeanors or no charges at all.
Federal prosecutors initially charged approximately 30 protesters during "Operation Midway Blitz." Many of those charges have since been dropped or dismissed.
