President Joe Biden is forcing Chicago's top federal prosecutor to resign amid ongoing criminal probes of powerful Illinois Democrats and their associates.
U.S. attorney John Lausch is prosecuting close confidants of Democrat boss Mike Madigan, an ally of former president Barack Obama who resigned from the state legislature Thursday after a decades-long reign in Springfield. Lausch's office will also prosecute Chicago alderman Edward Burke (D.), an influential figure accused of strong-arming businesses into retaining his law firm.
Lausch's abrupt removal has drawn bipartisan criticism from Illinois lawmakers who say he should be allowed to finish his work or depart on a longer timeline to ensure an orderly transition. The president asked all Trump-appointed U.S. attorneys to resign by the end of February but allowed two to remain in place to conclude politically sensitive work.
With much of the state's Democratic establishment in his sights, it's not clear why Biden did not extend the same courtesy to Lausch. Madigan's resignation, timed as it is with Lausch's imminent departure, will raise even more pointed questions for Lausch's successor about the future of the case.
"A new administration asking an old administration's U.S. attorneys to resign is nothing unusual, but you typically want to see a little bit of time given," said Zack Smith, a Heritage Foundation legal fellow and former assistant U.S. attorney. "There are many sensitive investigations going on, and it takes time for a new U.S. attorney to build partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies."
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