Joliet's Lausch Down To Final Days As U.S. Attorney For Chicago

Joliet IL

22 February, 2021

10:09 PM

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JOLIET, IL — Less than four years after being appointed as the Chicago U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois by former President Donald Trump, Joliet native John Lausch is now down to his final week on the job. The Chicago Tribune reported Monday it does not appear likely that Democrat President Joe Biden will change his decision and keep Lausch in his current role as the U.S. Attorney. The Tribune reported that it's fairly common for presidents of another party to appoint a new U.S. Attorney. However, Biden's decision to replace Lausch is set to take place even though both of the U.S. Senators from Illinois, Democrats Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, issued statements earlier this month, voicing their displeasure with the president's decision to terminate Lausch. "While we agree with the Biden Administration's criminal justice agenda, we are disappointed with the decision to terminate U.S. Attorney Lausch without consulting us," their statement reads. "In 2017, our non-partisan screening committee gave its support for Mr. Lausch to serve in this position, and the Senate confirmed him unanimously. "While the President has the right to remove U.S. Attorneys, there is precedent for U.S. Attorneys in the Northern District of Illinois to remain in office to conclude sensitive investigations. We believe Mr. Lausch should be permitted to continue in his position until his successor is confirmed by the Senate, and we urge the Biden Administration to allow him to do so." On Feb. 9, Patch columnist Mark Konkol blasted Biden for getting rid of Lausch as the U.S. Attorney. The long list of corruption indictments during Lausch's tenure — Chicago Ald. Edward Burke, Crestwood Mayor Lou Presta, Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski, and four state senators, to name a few — don't tell the whole story of his investigative impact. If not for the investigation that lead to ComEd's guilty plea for engaging in a bribery scheme to benefit the most powerful politician in Illinois history, it's likely the man his office dubbed "Public Official A" — Illinois Democratic Party boss Michael Madigan — would still be House speaker, Konkol wrote. .@potus should have learned from how @BarackObama handled his predecessor's U.S. Attorneys. Instead, Biden's politically motivated ouster of Chicago's corruption-busting top prosecutor looks a lot like @POTUS45 Column on @chicagopatch https://t.co/KAD5AfirtE— Mark Konkol (@Konkolskorner) February 10, 2021 In August 2017, Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow praised President Trump's decision to appoint Lausch as the new U.S. Attorney for the Northern Illinois District. Glasgow, also a Democrat, brought up Lausch's name during at a news conference on an unrelated topic inside the Joliet Police Department. "I'm going to throw in a plug for John Lausch. I'm a little off topic here," Glasgow told the room of journalists. "He's been tabbed as a potential candidate for the U.S. Attorney's Office. He headed up the anti-gang and safe neighborhoods task force for (former U.S. Attorney) Patrick Fitzgerald. He's from Joliet, Illinois, went to Joliet Catholic, played football at Harvard." Around Joliet, Lausch is still fondly remembered as being captain of Joliet Catholic's state champion 1987 football team. "It would be a huge addition to law enforcement down here if I can get a couple of my attorneys cross-designated with the U.S. Attorney's Office," Glasgow told reporters in 2017. "And then I would be able to work even more seamlessly with ATF and the other federal agencies." Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow, a Democrat, was a strong advocate for Joliet native John Lausch as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. File image John Ferak/Joliet Patch Now 51 years old, Lausch was sworn in as U.S. attorney in November 2017 after a unanimous voice vote in the U.S. Senate. At the time of his appointment, Lausch had been a partner at the prominent Chicago law firm of Kirkland & Ellis. He had worked there since 2010, focusing on government enforcement defense and internal investigations. Before that, Lausch served as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois for more than a decade. According to Kirkland & Ellis, Lausch was recognized in 2013 and 2014 as an "Illinois Super Lawyer" by the Super Lawyers magazine.