Former head of Chicago’s FBI office says Trump team ordered ‘politically motivated investigations’ into protesters
The former head of the FBI’s Chicago office is suing senior Justice Department officials, alleging he was forced to resign over his refusal to pursue politically motivated investigations into anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protesters.
Douglas DePodesta, a 24-year bureau veteran, filed the lawsuit Monday, accusing federal officials of pressuring him to target people opposed to the Trump administration, The Associated Press reports.
He also claims Andrew Boutros, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, sought his removal and later blamed him for the collapse of a high-profile case against six protesters.
DePodesta, whose departure was announced over the summer, told the ABC7 Chicago I-Team that he did not leave the bureau voluntarily.
“I was forced to resign. This was by no way voluntary,” DePodesta said in an interview published Monday. “I was ordered by the highest levels of the FBI that I needed to leave my position.”
The lawsuit names FBI Director Kash Patel, Attorney General Todd Blanche, Boutros, the Justice Department and the FBI as defendants. It alleges that “Boutros initiated and caused unconstitutional actions taken against DePodesta.”
Boutros is accused of pressuring senior officials to remove DePodesta after the prosecution of the so-called “Broadview Six” fell apart.
“In a vain attempt to salvage his own reputation, Defendant Boutros pressured and convinced Defendants Patel, FBI, Blanche, and DOJ to sacrifice an outstanding public servant,” the lawsuit states.
The allegations center on Operation Midway Blitz, the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign in the Chicago area last fall. According to the complaint, officials in Washington pressured Boutros to bring felony charges against protesters despite concerns that prosecutors lacked sufficient evidence.
DePodesta alleges he repeatedly asked for evidence that would justify opening FBI investigations into protesters accused of assaulting federal officers. He claims his refusal to pursue investigations without adequate factual support was met with hostility from Boutros.
“In each instance, DePodesta would request factual predication that would justify opening an investigation,” the lawsuit alleges, citing his obligations under Justice Department regulations and professional standards.
The lawsuit also claims Boutros sought to blame DePodesta after the Broadview Six case unraveled, deflecting scrutiny from the conduct of federal prosecutors.
The six protesters were charged with conspiring to obstruct a federal officer following a demonstration outside an ICE detention facility in Broadview, a suburb west of Chicago.
The prosecution collapsed after U.S. District Judge April Perry reviewed grand jury proceedings and raised concerns about possible prosecutorial misconduct. The charges were ultimately dismissed in May.
