ICYMI: "Biden Sacks a Corruption Prober"

Statement

President Joe Biden and his Department of Justice announced their intent to terminate dozens of U.S. Attorneys across the country, including John Lausch of the Northern District of Illinois. Lausch has been spearheading the federal corruption investigation into the years-long ComEd bribery scheme that has implicated former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Editorial boards and lawmakers from both parties urged President Biden to allow Lausch to stay on the job until he concludes his work and a successor is confirmed.

From the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board: "Biden Sacks a Corruption Prober"

"A new President abruptly fires a prosecutor overseeing high-level political corruption cases. That's big news, right? Well, it was in 2017 when President Trump axed Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York at the time and a media favorite. You can tell power in Washington has changed hands because of the muted response as the Biden White House ousts U.S. Attorney John Lausch of the Northern District of Illinois.

"Joe Biden is swiftly pushing out almost all U.S. attorneys who served under his predecessor, which is increasingly the norm for new Presidents. But even Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, staunch allies of Mr. Biden, objected to his firing of Mr. Lausch, who has been a scourge of corruption in Democratic-dominated Springfield.

"…Mr. Lausch's corruption probes have implicated a Chicago alderman and Springfield politicians. In July 2020 his office announced a $200 million settlement with the state's primary electric utility company for its efforts to buy off "associates of a high-level elected official for the state of Illinois."

"That official is reported to be Michael Madigan, who until last month had been Speaker of the Illinois House for all but two years since 1983. The investigation is continuing, and there's no reason outside of politics that Mr. Lausch shouldn't be kept on the job until the Senate confirms a successor. Mr. Lausch's four-year term ends in November 2021, and getting a replacement could take that long…"

From the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board: President Biden: Keep our U.S. Attorney John Lausch

"President Joe Biden's Justice Department dismissed U.S. attorneys across the country appointed by former President Donald Trump on Tuesday, and Northern District of Illinois U.S. Attorney John Lausch appears to be out. That would be a terrible decision by Biden.

"…And what a coincidence that the politicians indicted, charged or under investigation so far happen to be mostly Democrats. Dismissing Lausch will look like a Biden-Durbin-Duckworth favor to their corrupt Democrat pals.

"…Lausch also has been helping Mayor Lori Lightfoot in Chicago with violent crime. The effort known as Operation Legend, which fanned across several U.S. cities to battle increases in crime, was credited as of last fall with 262 charges of firearm offenses in the Northern District, a number 33% higher than 2018 and 48% higher than 2017, according to the Trump Justice Department."

Yesterday, Rep. Davis and other Republican lawmakers from the Illinois delegation issued a statement on President Biden's termination of U.S. Attorneys Lausch, Milhiser, and others:

"While U.S. Attorneys ultimately serve at the pleasure of the President, we believe it would be reckless and irresponsible for President Biden to fire U.S. Attorneys Lausch and Milhiser without successors nominated and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. U.S. Attorney Lausch is currently pursuing a historic and major public corruption investigation involving a years-long bribery scheme that has implicated former House Speaker Michael Madigan and others. U.S. Attorney Milhiser recently announced an indictment against former State Senator Sam McCann for criminal charges, including fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion.

"There is precedent for allowing a U.S. Attorney to remain in office until successors are confirmed, and we strongly believe both should be allowed to do so. We urge President Biden to permit U.S. Attorneys Lausch and Milhiser to remain in their jobs to conclude their ongoing corruption investigations and criminal cases."

Source